Smith: Georgia's been on Kubiak's mind

Those who know Gary Kubiak are generous in their appraisal of his considerable abilities, finding in him qualities that suggest he holds advantages that will bring championship dividends to the Houston Texans.

When Kubiak left town earlier this week after speaking to the University of Georgia chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, those who heard his comments concluded that he, like Mark Richt, is a winner.

There are many ties for the former Denver quarterback, some indirect, with Georgia. The coach that influenced him to sign a scholarship with Texas A&M was George Haffner, who later became the Bulldogs' offensive coordinator.

When the Aggies came to Athens in 1980, he remembers awaiting kickoff and hearing the public-address announcement that Herschel Walker would be taking the kickoff for the home team.

He turned to his best friend, Kelly Raper, and said, "Who's this guy?"

As he develops his program with the Texans, he is relying on two former Georgia coaches to help in his quest for a berth in the Super Bowl.

Dale Strahm, one-time defensive coach with the Bulldogs, is the director of college scouting.

Last year, Alex Gibbs, late of the Falcons, stayed away from football, but Kubiak has been able to persuade the highly regarded Gibbs to return to coaching.

"He is one of the finest offensive minds in football," Kubiak said of Gibbs. "I am excited that we have been able to sign him to coach our offensive line."

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This took the game well past midnight. A series of quarterback mishaps took place, and Kubiak was, much to his dismay, sent into the game. At first he resisted the coach's directive, saying, "Coach I can't go in. I will lose a whole year of eligibility."

It was certainly a humbling experience, but Kubiak was so offended that he left the team when it returned to College Station.

He drove home to Houston and was awakened the next morning by a contrite coach who admitted he made a mistake putting Kubiak into the game.

"What we did was wrong, but we can't change that. I regret that we cost you a year of eligibility. However, you can do one of two things. You can pout and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get in your car, come back over here, and prove us wrong."

This was a pivotal moment in his life. He returned to the team and got on with his life, a glorious turning point, bringing about gratefulness that has lasted to this day.

The convincing argument that turned Kubiak's life around was made by former Georgia quarterback coach Greg Davis. Perhaps it's understandable why Georgia has often been on Gary Kubiak's mind.

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El Tejano said:

This isn't the same Greg Davis who is currently with UT is it?

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LZ said:

Kubiak and Greg are very good friends. Some thought that Greg would end up on the Texans staff when kubiak took over.

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