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ALBANY, GA -- Former University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley was at the Albany Mall today to sign copies of his new book – Vince Dooley’s Garden: A Horticultural Journey of a Football Coach.

"He’s just number one," said UGA fan Keith Robinson. "He’s the crème of the crop. He’s the essence of what all of us Bulldogs would like our football coach to be,"

We caught up with the former UGA football coach and Athletic Director at the Sunset Grill.

"I was always curious about trees and plants and I thought I would take a course that would satisfy my curiosity but I didn’t know I would be bitten by a bug," said Dooley. "One course led to another then led to another, then led to a garden, then led to acquiring plants, to meeting people in the nursery industry."

Dooley’s teams won 6 SEC titles and captured the national championship in 1980.

But he, along with the rest of the Bulldog nation, saw a 2010 season that was plagued by mediocrity on the field and disciplinary problems off the field.

"There’s so much visibility to football and to men’s basketball and sports in general that it captures a lot of attention if something goes wrong," said Dooley. "It’s a constant challenge to be able to to impress upon the athletes – you’ve got a greater responsibility because of what you do."

One of the unique aspects of Dooley’s coaching career was the length of his tenure. He served as UGA’s head football coach for 25 seasons. We asked him why that kind of longevity is so rare in college football today.

"You’ve got salaries that are astronomical, more so than ever before so there’s this expectation of production," said Dooley.

As for his legacy, Dooley stressed character in the classroom over success on the sidelines.

"We did things the right way and that integrity and academics and everything was at the forefront of what we did and that was our mission and our goal," said Dooley.