AJ Green: part Beast, ALL man

I'm a sucker for a good story. That's why I posted on Deangelo earlier this morning. And if you've been following AJ Green since he was a lanky, 16yo, Summerville HS Coach Richt commitment, you're familiar with the story of his relationship with the late Capt. Louis Mulkey of the Charleston SC Fire Department. Pat Forde reminds us, and it's pure gold.

It's a great blend of the story of Mulkey's passion for helping kids...

He bought dinner for kids who were hungry. He bought shoes for kids who had none. He pounded home discipline for kids who lacked it.

"They were the children he never had," said Mulkey's mom, Ann.

If a player blew off homework, Mulkey was the enforcer. Sometimes he'd pull a desk out onto the field and sit a player at it, making him finish his work before he could practice.

After spending two unfocused years in college, Mulkey was forced into the working world. He didn't want his players to make the same educational mistakes he made. 

 ...and one Adriel Jeremiah Green...

Green committed to Georgia in July 2006 between his sophomore and junior seasons. His acclaim grew, but his work ethic kept pace until octogenarian coach McKissick was moved to retire Green's jersey -- the only time he has done so in 58 years at the school.

"He always hustled," McKissick said. "He practiced just like it was a game. If the quarterback threw it too long or over his head, he'd lay out for it every time. Good player, good character, good citizenship. I can't say enough good about him."

There was so much to like about Green that rival schools kept coming after him, even after that commitment to Georgia. Green held tight to his word and signed with the Bulldogs in February 2008.

And that's the way any story on AJ should be - intertwined with the anecdotes and quotes of the parents, coaches and caring adults in his life.  As AJ prepares to lead his team with his 2010 actions and highlights...somewhere up above, Capt. Mulkey is smiling.