Big man on campus: High hopes for A.J. Green (w/video)

JASON BUTT

Issue date: 8/28/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: DANIEL SHIREY

Freshman receiver A.J. Green makes a catch during preseason practice Tuesday.

A.J. Green said he was just doing his job.

If he has the chance to go up and snag a ball, he says he's going to catch it.

But if catching footballs is Green's job, then Green became employee of the month when he made "The Catch."

This reception made freshman wide receiver A.J. Green become an Internet legend last year during his senior year at Summerville High School in South Carolina. In a playoff game against Gaffney, quarterback Reid McCollum threw what looked to be a 20-yard-out route to Green, but put the ball behind him and sailed it high.

That didn't matter. The 6-4, 190 pound receiver changed his body's momentum from the right to the left, jumped backwards, reached up and reeled the ball in with only his left hand as he turned 360 degrees before falling to the turf.

"I haven't really watched it much, but, I mean, that's my job, just to catch whatever I can so it was nothing special," Green said.

It might not have been special to Green but it grabbed the attention of his new coaches at Georgia.

"I think I saw 'The Catch.' I was pretty excited," head coach Mark Richt said. "I just hope we're more accurate than that. I hope he doesn't have to make 'The Catch.' I hope we get him in the chest."

Unfortunately for Richt, Green had made a similar catch during summer workouts. Receiver Kris Durham remembered this catch vividly - a catch that still puzzles Durham as to how the freshman caught it.

"We were running through a pass skeleton, a 7-on-7, and he was running some kind of crossing route, or underneath route or something," Durham said. "The ball was thrown behind him. He's full speed, stops on a dime, dives, lays out backwards and caught the ball. That was probably one of the best catches I've ever seen."

Though this catch wasn't put on YouTube like "The Catch," it was put together on a summer camp highlight video.

"We watched it in slow motion and I still couldn't figure out how he did it," Durham said.

For Green, it's simple.

"I just go out there and try to catch anything that touches my hands," he said.

With all the hype surrounding the freshman - much of it coming from the success of his Internet highlight videos - Green said he doesn't pay much attention to it.

Instead, Green likes to spend time outdoors in the fresh air.

"I'm a country boy, I live in the country and I just like riding ATVs and stuff like that," Green said, who added he's been riding ATVs since he was 4.

While in the country, and much like his favorite NFL receiver Randy Moss, Green said he picked up a love for fishing when he was young as well.

"I used to fish all the time," Green said. "When I was 6, I got my first go-kart. I would ride my go-kart with my fishing line in the back."

He takes after his NFL hero off the field, and there's also a physical resemblance on it. Both receivers are tall and lanky, which helps in jump ball situations and they both use their speed to get behind defenses.

While Green said he admires Moss' play, Green said he doesn't think about copying his game after him.

"I don't envision making a Randy Moss play, I just don't think about it. If the ball is in the air, I think to myself that I know I'm going to catch it."