Former Georgia player pens open letter to Mark Richt

Former Georgia defensive back Sheldon Dawson, now a senior at Tennessee-Martin, wrote an open letter to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in praise of fired coach Mark Richt.

Dawson played under Richt for three seasons before leaving the program and, despite no longer playing for the Bulldogs, said his former coach kept in touch and led him toward people who could help him on and off the field.

Here's the full letter:

Hide, so I did behind false smiles and timidness. Stuck like a kid lost in darkness.

Hide and Seek … Hide and Seek …

Seek. What was I looking for? All I could see was the back of my eyelids. All I could hear was pitch black darkness. My hands touched nothingness. My nose was wrapped in the aroma of my own guilt and shame. My taste was overcome with disgust.

So what do you search for in darkness? Darkness? Myself? I couldn’t find anything. A lost child, and I was susceptible to anything. Willing to serve and do anything for anyone just to receive the satisfaction from any being. Instead of just being myself. But who was that?

That somebody was Mark Richt, who took a chance with a troubled kid from Memphis. This is an open letter to just say thank you to everybody associated with UGA for allowing me to participate at such an great institution.

And of course people have been wondering about Sheldon Dawson, Well, coach instilled in me to instill in my kids to Finish the Drill! That’s what I’ll do.

Thanks Coach!

This classy gesture by Dawson reminds us that college sports are about much more than just on-field results.