This article was originally published with the Red & Black on June 26, 2015 and can be found here.

Georgia redshirt freshman quarterback Jacob Park announced on June 10 his plans to transfer. While transferring is often treated with shock and surprise, past Bulldog quarterbacks can relate to Park’s decision.

D.J. Shockley stands as one of the best one-year wonders in Southeastern Conference history. During his senior season in 2005, he threw for 2,588 yards and 24 touchdowns and led the Bulldogs to their third SEC championship since 1982.

Although the dream came true in Athens, Shockley nearly finished his career somewhere else.

“I was pretty close to transferring,” Shockley said. “There was a time where I was about 50/50 on leaving or staying. At the time, I was really thinking about transferring because I felt like I should be playing.”

Shockley was stuck behind David Greene for three years in a crowded depth chart similar to what Park would have faced at Georgia. While Park opted to leave, Shockley took a different approach. He made it a mission to push Greene in every facet of their collegiate careers, from the practice field to the classroom. What resulted were several of Mark Richt’s best seasons as the Bulldogs head coach.

Richt was instrumental in Shockley spurning other collegiate opportunities. Part of the pitch Richt offered the then-21-year-old to stay was simple yet powerful: He guaranteed Shockley would leave Georgia with a smile on his face. A picture of the two grinning ear to ear after the Bulldogs won the conference championship hangs in Shockley’s house to commemorate that promise.

For Shockley, the decision for backup quarterbacks staying or going boils down to what satisfies them.

“You have to do what’s best for you,” Shockley said. “Ultimately, you can’t worry about what everybody else is saying. At the end of the day, you’re the only guy living this life. You have to wake up every morning, look in the mirror and be happy with the decisions you’re making.”

Joe Cox also knew the growing pains of playing second string. Cox came to the Bulldogs at the same time as Matthew Stafford, who stepped in and led Georgia from 2006 to 2008.

In the beginning, Cox assumed Stafford would be around for four seasons, leaving his own playing time in question. While the notion was discouraging, advice from Cox’s father helped him stay grounded. Buster Cox played safety at Duke in the 1970s, so he knew what to tell his son about the fight for a starting spot.

“I wanted to go to Georgia no matter what, so once I was there, I was there,” Joe Cox said. “He always let me know it was not going to be easy and there was a possibility I wasn’t going to play. If I got to play, it was because I earned it.”

Stafford’s early exit for the NFL opened the door for Cox. He started 13 games his senior year and threw for 2,584 yards, which ranks fifth amongst all seniors in Georgia history. Sitting at fourth on the list is none other than Shockley.

Cox’s thoughts on transferring align with Shockley’s. Although football propels the final decision, the takeaway of friends, family and a good education have to go into the decision as well. Playing time is not something all players are dead set on.

Shockley isn’t shy about sharing what he would tell future college quarterbacks about the experience.

“When you get to college, everyone there is a four-star or five-star,” Shockley said. “You have to prove yourself all over again, and you can’t live on what you did in the past. You have to prove yourself again in college just like you did in high school.”

Cox draws on his battle with Stafford for his own advice.

“They’re going to bring in somebody every year that’s as good as or better than you are,” Cox said.“It’s nothing against you, but that’s just college football when you’re trying to build a good program. You’ve got to be willing to compete and live with decisions when they’re made.”