The Georgia Bulldogs were represented in the South meeting room and on the field at the Senior Bowl on Monday.
Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, who suffered a torn ACL in his left knee against Kentucky on Nov. 23, cannot participate in the game, but he has attended team meetings and interviews with NFL teams.
“He doesn’t have to take notes or ask questions, and he’s doing that,” said Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley, who’s leading the South team at the All-Star game. “He’s really into it. I can see in his heart that he really wants to perform.”
After the official weigh-in and measurement session (in which Murray was measured at 6-foot and three-eighths of an inch tall), Murray watched the South team’s practice.
“I just have to show them right now that I’m mentally prepared and that I’m ready to handle a pro playbook,” said Murray, who’s been rehabbing with famed doctor James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla. “I want to show them that I’m ready to handle that aspect of the game.”
Murray said he plans to be ready to perform for NFL scouts at Georgia’s Pro Day on April 16.
Murray surpassed the 3,000-yard passing mark for the fourth consecutive season before he went down against Kentucky on Senior Night. He’s the only SEC quarterback to accomplish that feat and is one of four NCAA quarterbacks to do it.
He’s making the most of his time in the classroom.
“I just love football,” Murray said. “I love being in meetings. I love learning new things. I love getting new ideas about things, like certain route concepts that we are learning right now.”
Murray’s message to coaches and scouts who interview him is simple.
“The biggest thing is that I played in the SEC, the toughest conference in the country,” Murray said. “We have some of the best competition, especially on the defensive side of the football. I played 52 games against some of the best competition. I performed well, and I’m ready to take that next step.”
He appears to be handling the injury well.
“I firmly believe that I took full advantage of my (time) at Georgia,” Murray said. “I really have no regrets at all. I would have liked to have finished my senior season out, but I’m not looking back with any disappointment.”
One of the players Murray watched at practice was former Georgia tight end Arthur Lynch, who is listed on the Senior Bowl roster at 6-4, 258 pounds.
“His size is what really jumps out at me,” Bradley said. “Whenever you get a tight end that has that size, you know that will help him at the point of attack. That’s going to be important.”
Lynch had a few drops at Georgia at clutch time last season.
“But he showed some good ball skills and the ability to run good routes in the seven-on-seven drills,” Bradley said. “We just have a few tight ends, so those guys got a lot of reps.”
Murray thought Lynch had a strong practice, too.
“I may be a little biased, but he had one heck of a day,” Murray said. “He caught everything. There were no drops. He was getting open. He had a really, really good day.”
Lynch was upbeat after practice.
“A lot of these guys I’ve played against or with over the past four or five years,” Lynch said. “It’s nice to be out here.”
Lynch is one of 23 players from the SEC on the South team. He has interviewed with 12 to 14 teams, including the Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs.
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