Todd Gurley is suspended, returns, and suffers ACL injury

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  Oct 24
Not sure when NCAA will announce Gurley news, but I've heard nothing to indicate there's been a change. Immediate reinstatement very likely.

[jbcarol]

Marc Weiszer @marcweiszer  ·  12 hours ago
NCAA president calls #UGA handling of Gurley case 'commendable'
http://bit.ly/10wJInf  #UGA

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  7 hours ago
Georgia says its Graduation Success Rate (GSR) is 85%. There is no word on the other GSR (Gurley Success Rate.)

[Doug]

NCAA ruled on Gurley:

Eligible for reinstatement for November 15th game.
Has to repay $3,000
Must serve 40 hours of Community Service.

UGA, of course, is appealing immediately. Hoping to get Gurley reinstated ASAP.

[riccoar]

They should have no issue beating Florida and Kentucky without him.  That would put him back for Auburn (11/15).

[jbcarol]

Michael Bonner @MikeBBonner  ·  26 minutes ago

Mark Richt says all his team can do is focus on Florida, regarding the Todd Gurley situation

[jbcarol]

NCAA gets tongue-lashed on Twitter over Todd Gurley community service decision

"Making [Todd] Gurley do community service is ridiculous."

That was the mantra of many on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon as the public reacted to what they saw as a strange and aggressive punishment doled out by the NCAA to University of Georgia running back Todd Gurley. Gurley had admitted to making $3,000 from selling his own autographed memorabilia and was punished with a four-game suspension, a partial repayment of what he earned and 40 hours of community service. (Georgia has said the university is appealing the verdict.)

Nick Birdsong @birds_word  (Covers UAB football for al.com)

The NCAA really tries to have their punishments come off like sentences for crimes. Making Gurley do community service is ridiculous.
10:53 AM - 29 Oct 2014

[jbcarol]

AJC columnist Jeff Schultz says dumb rules are no excuse for Gurley. "Gurley should have known that he was jeopardizing his team's season and betraying everybody he played for and with. He committed a series of foolish decisions at the ages of 19 and 20. Granted, that doesn't put him in exclusive company. But student athletes are told multiple times a year about NCAA rules and are warned about the potential repercussions if they break them."

[jbcarol]

Brett McMurphy @McMurphyESPN  ·  9 hours ago

Georgia's appeal to NCAA denied, Todd Gurley will miss next 2 games. Can't return until Nov. 15

[Steef]

Brett McMurphy @McMurphyESPN  ·  9 hours ago

Georgia's appeal to NCAA denied, Todd Gurley will miss next 2 games. Can't return until Nov. 15

They needed to get Ohio State to ask for them.

[jbcarol]

Some TV media talked about how fortunate UGa was to be able to rest Gurley until the Auburn game.

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  17 minutes ago

And Todd Gurley won't meet the with the media this week, which isn't a surprise. No players at all on Monday and Wednesday.

Welp ... Georgia limiting player and coach interviews this week. Only selected few players on Tuesday, no assistants coaches at all.

My guess is it played a part. RT @Kfade22 Does this stem from CMR's frustrations with R. Wilson's comments after the UF game?

I see what UGA thinks it's doing. But in my years in this biz, limiting media interviews has very little effect on the outcome of the game.

[jbcarol]

On second thought, Todd Gurley will start for Georgia after all

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson

Mark Richt on radio show: "First offensive play you'll see Gurley. I'll tell you that."
8:38 PM - 10 Nov 2014

And just for emphasis, Richt adds: "Todd Gurley is the starting tailback at Georgia."
8:40 PM - 10 Nov 2014

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  7h 7 hours ago
Mark Richt stands up for Todd Gurley's character, says his honesty should impress NFL teams.
http://www.macon.com/2014/11/11/3417389/richt-teammates-stand-up-for-gurley.html ...

Richt on Todd Gurley and his suspension: "I'm proud of the guy for being honest. I still think it's the best policy."

[jbcarol]

Chubb great; what does Gurley bring back?
ESPN Stats & Information

Nick Chubb has done an admirable job stepping in for the suspended Todd Gurley in Georgia's last four games. In his time as the starter, Chubb was 10th in the FBS in rushes per game (25.5), fourth in rush yards per game (167. and tied for fifth in rushes of at least 10 yards (17). He has rushed for at least 140 yards in each game.

As good as Chubb has been, the numbers appear to show that Gurley has been better. Regardless, perhaps the most important thing for the Bulldogs is that they have both of them available heading into Georgia's final SEC game, Saturday against Auburn.

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  53 minutes ago
Video: Mark Richt -- Todd Gurley will run 'early and often' http://es.pn/1uph42U

[jbcarol]

Marc Weiszer @marcweiszer  ·  20 minutes ago
Gurley walks off field slowly after apparent left knee or ankle injury. Hurt after 6-yard run with 5:21 to play.

Marc Weiszer @marcweiszer  ·  17 minutes ago
Gurley's left knee being iced on trainer's table.

Marc Weiszer @marcweiszer  ·  9 minutes ago
Gurley walking towards locker room now with 1:44 to go.

Marc Weiszer @marcweiszer  ·  6 minutes ago
Final: No. 16 Georgia 34, No. 9 Auburn 7. Bulldogs finish 6-2 in SEC and improve to 8-2 overall. Chubb 144. Gurley 138 but injures knee.

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  5 minutes ago
Todd Gurley's knee injury takes some excitement out of Georgia's thrashing of Auburn. http://www.macon.com/2014/11/15/3426285/georgia-rolls-over-auburn.html ...

ATHENS – The first time Todd Gurley touched the ball he reminded everyone what they had been missing in his absence. Never mind that the play didn't count. It electrified a crowd that had gone to Sanford Stadium to see just that.

The final sight of Gurley on Saturday night was much worse: sitting on a cart, a hood over his head, going to the hospital for X-rays on his left knee.

In between, a game that was supposed to be about Gurley ended up being one about the entire Georgia football team, which claimed a resounding 34-7 victory over ninth-ranked Auburn...

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  2 hours ago
Georgia was awaiting results of MRI this morning on Todd Gurley's knee. Early signs after last night's game were not promising.

[jbcarol]

FOX 5 Sports @FOX5Sports  ·  14 hours ago
In light of Gurley's apparent knee injury, this Forbes article from two days ago is sobering.  http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcedelman/2014/11/14/todd-gurley-should-have-said-no-to-ncaa-reinstatement/ ...

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  1 hour ago
Georgia now officially confirming that Todd Gurley tore his ACL. A surgery date has not been decided, the school said.

Todd Gurley story updated.
http://www.macon.com/2014/11/16/3427148/gurley-tears-acl-ending-season.html ...

An MRI confirmed a torn ACL in Gurley's left knee, the school confirmed on Sunday afternoon. No date for surgery has been determined yet.

Gurley suffered the injury with 5:21 left in Georgia's 34-7 win over Auburn, in which Gurley rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown. In so doing, he passed Garrison Hearst for second on Georgia's all-time rushing list.

The injury is a gut-punch to Gurley and his team, as the Auburn game was his first game back after serving a four-game suspension. Gurley was a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy when he was suspended on Oct. 9 for accepting money for autographs.

"No pain, no gain," Gurley tweeted on Sunday afternoon. It was his first tweet since Aug. 29.

Despite only playing in six games, Gurley finishes the season with 932 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, as well as 12 receptions for 57 yards.

A junior with one year of college eligibility remaining, Gurley has long been expected to declare for the NFL draft. It's not clear how the injury will effect his draft status, but at this point it would be a surprise if he returned to school for his final year...

[jbcarol]

Todd Gurley II @TG3II

No Pain, No Gain....
4:41 PM - 16 Nov 2014

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  14 hours ago

Mark Richt says Todd Gurley "loved the big games and played his heart out for Georgia. I'm really proud I had an opportunity to coach him."

Richt also called Gurley "without a doubt one of the best running backs I've ever seen, ever coached. Practiced hard and played hard"

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  4 hours ago

Georgia recently increased value of Todd Gurley's insurance coverage | http://AL.com  http://ow.ly/EtloL

ESPN's Darren Rovell reported Tuesday that Georgia increased Gurley's insurance policy to $10 million in coverage -- $5 million for total disability if he suffered a career-ending injury and $5 million in loss of value insurance, which would kick in if Gurley injured himself and slipped in the draft.

Gurley tore an ACL against Auburn in his first game back on Saturday. His policy through International Specialty Insurance had previously included $5 million in total disability and $2.5 million in loss of value insurance.

He would start to collect on the policy should he slip out of the first round, according to Rovell, and would collect the full $5 million loss-of-value compensation should he go undrafted.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. currently has Gurley at No. 8 overall on his big board. An unnamed NFL scout told Saturday Down South, however, that teams will be more reluctant to spend early-round draft picks on running backs with ACL injuries...

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  2 hours ago

Latest Dish: Five things I learned http://es.pn/11CoROP

A Georgia lawmaker has introduced a bill that would make it an aggravated misdemeanor to jeopardize the eligibility of a college student-athlete by providing him or her with illegal benefits. Under the terms of the proposed law, House Bill 3, anyone who causes a student-athlete to lose his or her eligibility would face a potential $5,000 fine.

Georgia Rep. Barry Fleming told the Athens Banner-Herald that he introduced the bill for consideration next year at the request of House Speaker David Ralston. In October, University of Georgia running back Todd Gurley was suspended four games for improperly accepting $3,000 to sign autographs.

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  9 hours ago
Todd Gurley signing details emerge http://es.pn/1zdOIbr

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. -- The man who paid Georgia running back Todd Gurley $400 for signing about 80 items in the passenger's seat of a 2002 Lexus earlier this year says he never intended to hurt Gurley or the Georgia football program...

Allen told ESPN and Sports Illustrated in an interview that Gurley signed anything and everything in the parking lot of his Athens, Georgia, apartment complex: footballs, helmets, jerseys and 8x10 glossy photos.

[jbcarol]

FOI: Georgia picked up the tab of $43,301.36 for Todd Gurley's legal representation when the star running back sought to be reinstated by the NCAA for taking money for autographs.

Georgia and Gurley sought reinstatement after he sat out two games and the NCAA ruled his suspension would be extended to a total of four games. An appeal was denied. Gurley was lost for the season with a torn ACL sustained in his first game back on Nov. 15 against Auburn.

NCAA allows the university to pay for legal services due to it being an eligibility issue.

"We had the option to do that for student-athletes that perhaps don't have the resources to pay for that type of professional service so we're able to," Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said. "That was our decision to make."

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  3 hours ago
Todd Gurley will be with the team at the bowl next week despite his injury, Mark Richt says.

[jbcarol]

Even prior to him tearing his ACL, most, if not all of those connected to the Georgia football program assumed the 2014 season would be Todd Gurley's last in Athens...

Mark Richt busted out the permanent marker in confirming that the talented running back is leaving the Bulldogs after three seasons for the NFL...

[jbcarol]

David Paschall @DavidSPaschall  ·  19 hours ago
Todd Gurley leaves with a career average of 6.44 yards per carry, breaking the #UGA mark of 6.42 set by Charley Trippi in the 1940s.

[jbcarol]

Gurley was asked about dealing with the autograph story, and answered that it was to "just man up to my mistakes."

"I made a dumb mistake and I suffered the consequences," Gurley said according to a transcript of his Indianapolis press conference. "I had to move on from that, but just show them that I'm a great person at the end of the day."

Gurley served a four-game suspension, ending what could have been a Heisman Trophy run. His reputation also took a hit, although he was a cause celebre' to some who don't like the NCAA's autograph rule.

Either way, the former Georgia star said the situation made him more careful.

"That probably was one of the best worst things that happened to me," said Gurley, who the NCAA ruled accepted more than $3,000 in cash from multiple memorabilia dealers. "You definitely want to keep your eyes on a swivel and just watch who you're around because everybody is not for you. Even though I'd made a dumb mistake, it just makes you think about stuff in the future."

Now Gurley can sign all the autographs for money he wants. But first he wants to get drafted. Most projections have Gurley going in the late first round, both because of his injury and the de-emphasis on drafting running backs very high. But Gurley is shooting higher.

...Gurley was asked if he had any regrets about coming back last season, given what happened.

"I don't. I did it because I love football. That's what I do," Gurley said. "I've played football my whole life. Injuries come with the game. I wouldn't take that game back for nothing."

Gurley thinks he'll be available for the start of the NFL season, but he's not healthy enough to work out before the draft. He said he didn't think he'd be able to do anything at UGA's pro day on March 18.

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  42 minutes ago
Todd Gurley on what might've been, and his "dumb mistake."
http://www.macon.com/2015/03/18/3646154/gurley-on-what-couldve-been-and.html ...