University of Georgia Athletics
Ferguson, Zeier To Be Inducted Into Circle Of Honor
September 17, 2010 | Track & Field
Sept. 17, 2010
ATHENS, Ga. -- Four-time track Olympian Debbie Ferguson and record-setting quarterback Eric Zeier will be inducted into Georgia's Circle of Honor on Friday at the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall. They also will be recognized at the Georgia-Arkansas football game on Saturday.
The Circle of Honor is designed to recognize and pay tribute to extraordinary student-athletes and coaches who by their performance and conduct have brought honor to the university and themselves, and who by their actions have contributed to the tradition of the Georgia Bulldogs. The criteria also stipulate that each recipient has earned his or her academic degree.
During her Georgia career, Ferguson won four individual national titles - the 1996 200-meter dash and the 1999 60-meters dash indoors and the 1998 100- and 200- meter races outdoors. A 20-time All-American, she won the 1999 Jackie Joyner-Kersee Award as the nation's top collegiate performer. Ferguson was the Commissioner's Cup winner as the high point performer at the 1999 SEC Outdoor Championships after setting conference records in taking the 100- and 200-meter races. She was an eight-time SEC champion, earning SEC Athlete of the Year honors in 1998 and 1999. Ferguson still holds six school records.
In addition to her achievements on the track, Ferguson was a recipient of the NCAA Top VIII Award, which honors the eight student-athletes nationally for achievement in athletics, academics and leadership. Ferguson made the SEC Honor Roll with a 3.07 GPA in biology and was chosen as a UGA Presidential Scholar. She also won the Lewis Leadership and Georgia Senior Leader awards and was one of the eight national finalists for the NCAA Sportsmanship Award.
 Debbie Ferguson  |
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Ferguson has been to the Olympics four times, representing the Bahamas in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. She claimed a gold medal as a member of the 400-meter relay team in 2000, and she earned a silver in 1996 on the 400 relay and a bronze in 2004 in the 200-meter dash. She also claimed two gold medals at the 1999 World Championships and Pan-Am Games.
At the time of his graduation, Zeier was the most prolific quarterback to ever play at Georgia, finishing his career with 67 school records and 18 SEC marks. From 1991-94 at Georgia, Zeier set the all-time SEC career passing record with 11,153 yards. At that point, he was just the third quarterback in NCAA Division I history to throw for more than 11,000 yards in his career.
In 46 games as a Bulldog, Zeier completed 838-of-1,402 passes for 11,153 yards and 67 touchdowns. Among the most impressive SEC records set by Zeier were career passing yards, career total offense (10,841), consecutive attempts without an interception (176), single-season passing yards (3,525) and passing yards in a game (544). While no quarterback in SEC history had thrown for 400-plus yards more than once in his career, Zeier accomplished the feat seven times, including four in 1994. Zeier still holds nine school records.
In 1994, Zeier was named First-Team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting after finishing 10th in 1993. He was invited to play in four post-season all-star games: the Senior Bowl, the Blue-Gray Classic, the Hula Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game.
He was also named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 1992 and 1993.
Zeier was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft and he also played for the Ravens, Buccaneers and Falcons between 1995 and 2001. He was inducted into the Georgia-Florida Game Hall of Fame in 2008 and is now the color analyst on the Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network.