Name: Alex Polk

Family: Mother and father, Tammy and Allen Polk; sister, Adrienne Tondee; brother-in-law, Tyler Tondee; and boyfriend, Grant Neel. Not to mention my fur baby, Roscoe – the sweetest English Springer Spaniel you’d ever meet.

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Current Town: Atlanta, Georgia

What Years at UGA: Graduated 2019

School/Degree: Grady College of Journalism, B.A. in Public Relations with a minor in Fashion Merchandising

Profession: As a social media and influencer marketing specialist, I’ve had the pleasure to work with so many wonderful brands in the food & beverage, lifestyle and wellness industries. Most recently, I joined the Milk and Butter Social team as the company’s Influencer Marketing Manager, working with brands such as Mellow Mushroom, Lucy’s Market and several other iconic Atlanta businesses. Social media is changing by the day, and no two days are alike! It keeps life interesting, that’s for sure.

Nothing major comes to mind, but I am proud to make a difference in my clients’ lives through my line of work! Making an impact for their businesses is the biggest accomplishment I could hope for.

Book: I love anything focused on self improvement, so a favorite that comes to mind would be Atomic Habits! (1)

Magazine: Architectural Digest

Podcast: The Skinny Confidential Him & Her

Blog: Poosh – everything Kourtney Kardashian touches is gold, in my opinion.

Instagram: @bevsbybeverly. Her video content is so entertaining (and I love a good cocktail recipe!). (2)

Brand: Summer Fridays

Fashion designer: Oscar de la Renta (3)

Interior designer: Shea McGee, as I love pieces that converge comfort and warmth with great design. (4)

Chef: Alison Roman

Historical figure: Audrey Hepburn (5)

Describe Athens in five words or less: Too much fun!

Restaurants and bars: Last Resort Grill is an Athens favorite for good reason, but The Grill is top-of-mind after a late night on the town.

Shops: Cheeky Peach has always been a favorite, and even better now that their Buckhead location is open!

Athens/campus landmark: Sanford Stadium! Some of my best memories growing up, throughout college and post-grad have been cheering on the Dawgs. (6)

Memory while in school: Gameday traditions with my best friends! We’d always have something fun on the books, whether it’s hopping around town or toasting to kickoff with mimosas and brunch at home.

Professor/class: Professor Landrum’s graphic design course – so fun and creative.

Gameday ritual: If I’m not in Athens for gameday, I usually like to host a few friends for bites and drinks before heading to Atlanta’s UGA watch spot. Although, grilling out with my family is always a solid go-to plan.

Tailgate Recipe: Anything Half Baked Harvest!

PROUST: Paul Threlkeld

Name: Paul Threlkeld

Family: Ansley; Hughes (19), Ella Bankes (17), Hamp (14)

Hometown: Vidalia (Vi-damn-daya)

Current Town: Savannah

What Years at UGA: 1994-2001

School/Degree: Grady College of Journalism (ABJ);UGA School of Law (JD)

Profession: Shepherd

Accolades: I am quite positive that I am the only lawyer in American history who was prosecuting someone for a crime and then moved to have the charges dismissed during sentencing after the offender performed the Hambone in open court. The courtroom gallery went nuts, the judge was nonplussed, and the performance was nothing short of spectacular. DM me for more details. Other honors, etc. may be found at www.olivermaner.com.

What life lessons did you learn while at UGA?

How to make friends and influence bartenders.

 What professor did you most admire?

Charles Bullock and Loch Johnson in undergrad.  Those two are absolute masters in their respective fields and made the material fascinating. If you didn’t get a chance to take one of their classes, your loss. In law school, R. Perry Sentell, Jr. and Dan Coenen had tremendous influence on my class rank. I had Prof. Sentell (“Prof”) for all three of his classes, so, yes, I was knighted. His style was unique and you learned the subjects, whether you made an A or a C. Professor Coenen is brilliant and humane. Both of them were demanding and kind.

Which historical figure do you most identify with? 

Hughes Spalding

Who are your heroes in real life? 

I have a few: Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines;  the doctors, nurses and researchers at St. Jude (and anyone who has devoted their life to curing childhood cancer); those who minister to the sick, the friendless and the needy.  

Quote to live by: 

“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” Lt. Pete Mitchell.

 What is your idea of perfect happiness?  

Every day in the orbit of Ansley, Hugs, Bear and Squirrel Dog is pretty damn amazing. But since you asked . . .the day would have to start with cup of toe-tingling coffee from Lanny Allgood’s “Orgazmatron 5000” coffee maker. (It’s that good. Hence the name.) My daughter and I always take a run through campus. (If she’s not with us, we always text each other “Happy Gameday!”) Next, we jack up the volume on the Redcoat Band playlist (if you’re in the house, you’re now awake) and mix up some spicy Bloodies. These segway nicely into tailgating with family and friends one of those banner fall mornings in Athens. You know, those mornings you can’t describe, you just feel it. Walking into Sanford Stadium with 92,746 of your closest friends always gets the blood pumping. After a convincing win over an SEC opponent with hideous uniforms we’re feeling great and one of the geniuses in our cadre calls for an E-9. Never a bad idea. After collecting my winnings, we all have cigars on the porch of the clubhouse and count our blessings. 

 What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Have you met my children? I am more proud of them than anything else. Oh, and I have been married to a cool, fabulous woman I love and admire for more than 20 years.

 What is your most marked characteristic?

Some would say being able to take work seriously, without taking myself too seriously. I’m good with that.  

What do you most value in your friends?

Being able to accept me for who I am and me likewise accepting them. I love my friends and they know it. (I love you guys!) Ok, they know it now.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I wish I hadn’t broken Kirby’s nose in the KA/SAE pledge game. He’s probably still a little miffed about that. But he’s a competitor and a winner so he gets it. #HBTFD!

 Who are your favorite writers?

I think Amor Towles is a modern-day Mark Twain. He’s an amazing story teller. I have always loved David McCullough. He shows us that history is life and not just war, and politics. Tommy Carlyle was a philosopher without equal. Can you imagine having all of that knowledge swimming around in your head and being able to convey it in such simplistic prose? Note of caution: Mark Twain died while reading Carlyle’s The French Revolution.

Fave social media and who to follow?

 @pmgn. If you’re a Georgia fan and don’t follow, please continue hibernating beneath stones. It’s like Rolling Stones for Dawg fans. And give a follow to @super70ssports. You’ll be glad you did.