No matter what team one cheers for, fans around the nation are mourning the loss of football legend Vince Dooley, former University of Georgia (UGA) head football coach and college football Hall of Famer, who passed away at 90 years old on Oct. 28. 

Dooley had been recently hospitalized with a mild case of COVID-19; however, he was released to go home a week after. Although nobody knows the reason for his death, some believe the sickness could have been the issue. Dooley died in his home in Athens, GA, in the presence of his wife and four kids. 

“As a Georgia fan, Vince Dooley’s death is really upsetting to me because he has done so much for the university that I care so much about,” Megan Busbee, junior, said. 

Dooley played football for Auburn in his college years under head coach Ralph Jordan. He was a quarterback for the Tigers and led the team out of their 17-year losing streak, and during the 1953 season, he was team captain. Along with his time playing as quarterback at Auburn and his coaching seasons at UGA, Dooley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. 

“Dooley was such a beloved football player for my team, and seeing that he passed created much sadness throughout the Auburn fans,” Ari Shostak, sophomore, said. 

Dooley was a beloved UGA coach from 1964 to 1988, and during his career, he led the team to their second national championship win in the school’s history in 1980. Along with the national title, Dooley coached the Bulldogs through six Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship titles. He still currently holds the fourth highest number of total victories in the conference. 

“I feel very sad [about Vince Dooley’s passing] but thankful for all of his contributions to UGA and the football team,” Addison Bishop, freshman, said. 

Along with his team’s victories, Dooley coached the famous running back Hershel Walker. From the years that Dooley coached Walker at UGA, he went on to be known as one of the best college football players in history. In 1982, Walker won the Heisman Trophy, an award for the outstanding college football player of the year. 

“My heart breaks at Coach Vince Dooley’s passing. Coach Dooley was like a second father to me, and his family became my family. Coach put his trust in me, and I put my trust in him,” Hershel Walker, current candidate for the GA senate election, said in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  

Dooley is known as a college football legend and one whom many loved. Not only was Dooley an amazing player, but he went on to excel at coaching and become one of the top coaches in college football history. Although Dooley has passed, he has left a huge impact on many people throughout his lifetime.