SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) -
It was a little later and warmer than expected, but to Georgia fans, Wednesday felt like Christmas Day, the kind when everybody gets something they want and the family comes together to celebrate.
"This is great to be being together for this,'' Louis Freedman, who played for UGA from 1976-78, said of a gathering of local Bulldogs to watch coverage on National Signing Day. "There's nothing like being in a room with nothing but Georgia fans. That always makes it a lot better.''
For the second straight year, one of college football's most important days was made better for local Bulldogs fans.
This was the first day high school players could officially commit to play for the college of their choice and Georgia fans got together at Fiddler's Southside for a viewing party and to share the excitement of finding out which potential stars were headed to Athens.
Event organizer and Savannah UGA fan John DeLoach set up an audio system that piped radio coverage from Athens into the dining room while every television in the room was turned to ESPN-U's marathon television coverage.
By the chance to follow it together at a midday party where interest in what was happening reflected just how big an event singing day has become.
"This kind of keeps everyone busy, keeps everyone focused and everyone excited,'' said DeLoach. "There's so much coverage now, you can watch your team's ranking as it change during the day and see who's doing what, who's going where.''
On the first Wednesday of February every year, that accumulation of new talent is all that matters to college programs, and their fans.
"Oh yeah, everybody's excited,'' said Hank White, a UGA fan from Hinesville attending the event. "This is what makes a program for the next four years. So, hopefully we get some good ones.''
The Bulldogs did that once again with what was being ranked by ESPN as the fifth-best class in the country.
It was built largely on early commitments from highly regarded players whose official arrival added to the feel of another state holiday in February.
"I got a text last night and those exact words were said by a friend of mine,'' said DeLoach. "He said, ‘I feel like it's Christmas Day.' So, let's hope we get the big present.''
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