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Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game Announces Georgia's Honorary Captain

The honorary captains for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game have been announced.

Harrison Reno

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With a little less than two weeks away from kickoff, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game has announced the honorary captains for both the University of Georgia and Oregon via social media. 

The two programs will meet for the first time in college football history on September 3rd in a 3:30 PM (EST) kickoff in the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Keeping with the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game tradition, two former players/alumni of each school will be an "honorary captain." Willie McClendon will represent the University of Georgia, while Marcus Mariota will represent the Oregon Ducks. 

"Willie McClendon, who played under former head coach Vince Dooley from 1976-78. In 1977, in the only previous meeting between Oregon and Georgia, he scored the game-clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter to help lead the Bulldogs to a 27-16 victory. After rushing for 1,312 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns during his junior season, McClendon was named SEC Player of the Year in 1978. He was then drafted in the third round of the NFL draft in 1979 by the Chicago Bears. After his four year playing career, McClendon went on to serve as an assistant on the Georgia coaching staff from 1989 through the 1993 season."

"Serving as the honorary captain for the Oregon Ducks will be Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota, who played in Eugene from 2011-14. The most decorated player in Oregon history, Mariota earned unanimous All-America and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year honors, and was named the winner of the 2014 Heisman Trophy. Mariota finished his career as the Pac-12’s career total touchdowns leader (135) and holds the career records for passing yards (10,081) and career passing touchdowns (105) at Oregon. He was selected with the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, and spent his first four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. After a recent two-year stretch with the Las Vegas Raiders, Mariota signed a two-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons this past offseason."

McClendon is the father to current Georgia wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon, who returned to Athens this offseason for his second stint on staff. After serving as the running backs and wide receivers coach in his time under then-head coach Mark Richt, McClendon spent three seasons at South Carolina under then-head coach Will Muschamp before coaching the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Oregon under then-head coach Mario Cristobal. 

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Harrison Reno
HARRISON RENO

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