![The Celebration Punctuates National Championship Week The Celebration Punctuates National Championship Week](https://photos.smugmug.com/Football/UGA-Football-2021/Celebrating-the-National-Championship-at-Sanford/i-Z8svpG7/0/59c8b4c7/1791x1344/851_6947-1791x1344.jpg)
The Georgia Bulldogs celebrated their first national championship title in 41 years on January 15th. The Bulldogs defeated Alabama on Monday, January 10th 33-18 to clinch the National Championship.
Fans arrived Saturday morning in Athens, Georgia early and loud to celebrate. The team started the day with a parade down Lumpkin Street that drew thousands of individuals.
After the parade, fans swarmed the gates of Sanford Stadium in a mad rush to celebrate with the Bulldogs. DJ Shockley, former Quarterback at the University of Georgia, led the celebration ceremony. Among those in attendance were Governor Brian Kemp, University of Georgia President Jere Morehead, Athletic Director Josh Brooks, and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.
The entire day was filled with immense emotion. Tears of joy were seen streaming down the faces of many as they embraced a championship title for the first time since 1980. As Lewis Grizzard once wrote, “Grown men cried.”
Coach Kirby Smart gave a heartfelt speech that will forever be cherished by Bulldog Nation. Seniors, Jamaree Salyer and Jordan Davis gave accounts of the season and their time here at The University of Georgia. To conclude both of their speeches, they gave a final farewell to Dawg Nation.
To honor the last national championship football team at Georgia, members of the 1980 national championship team raised the 2021 National Championship flag over Sanford Stadium.
Coach Smart got the crowd going one last time at the end by grabbing the mic and calling the dawgs. During SEC media days Coach Kirby Smart stated, “Success comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” The Dawgs may not have been looking for success but they found it Monday night in Indianapolis in the form of a national championship.