Georgia deals with deaths of family members

Athens — As Georgia has toiled through a season that began with great expectations, the Bulldogs have had to deal with much more than a couple of disappointing losses. Four members of the Georgia athletics staff — including two football coaches — have had to deal with the deaths of loved ones.

• Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez lost his father-in-law, Richard O’Connell, this past Friday before the Auburn game;

• Defensive ends coach Jon Fabris lost his father, Dr. Frank Fabris, the Friday before the Florida game;

• Football letterman Robert Miles, director of UGA’s Life Skills Program, lost his wife Felecia to a long battle with cancer earlier this fall.

• Connie Connelly, who works in the football recruiting office, recently lost her mother, Dolly Lowe.

“We’ve had more than our share of that this year,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said of the deaths. “There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes.”

Yet you would never know anything has happened in terms of the Bulldogs’ week-to-week preparations.

Fabris coached the Florida game, then buried his father upon his return to Athens. Martinez put his wife Kim on a plane last Friday, then joined the team in Auburn for its 17-13 win over the Tigers. He missed Wednesday’s practice to attend the funeral in south Florida but was back at work on Thursday.

Most of the time the players were oblivious to their grief.

“I knew about Coach Martinez and Robert Miles but I had no idea about Coach Fabris,” cornerback Asher Allen said. “It shows a lot about those guys that they go on about their business when you know they’re hurting. I don’t know if I could do that. But you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, I guess. The season goes on.”

Etc…

Because of academic conflicts, the Bulldogs practiced at 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning. “I assured them it wasn’t a punishment,” Richt said. They’re scheduled to run and lift Friday afternoon. … DE Rod Battle has been limited in practice because of a hyperextended elbow. Richt said Battle would play against Georgia Tech.