ATHENS — Isaiah Crowell doesn’t like to talk. He comes right out and says as much. And that’s the beauty of this quiet, somewhat reluctant football star. You can be sure that whatever comes out of his mouth will be succinct.
A highly anticipated Georgia recruit expected to challenge for playing time, Crowell talked to reporters Friday for the first time since arriving on campus in June. It was a timely day for the Bulldogs to make him available to the media.
The morning began with news of him being hobbled by a mysterious injury that severely limited his participation in Friday’s practice. Afterward both Crowell and coach Mark Richt revealed that it is a groin injury, and it’s not thought be serious. But for two hours, the nature of the extent of Crowell’s malady was unknown, and it was enough to send the Bulldog Nation into a tizzy.
“They shouldn’t be panicked because it’s not really that serious,” Crowell said in his low, slow Southwest Georgia drawl. “It was just weak or whatever, but it’s not serious.”
Crowell said he didn’t expect to be shut down for long. And he doesn’t need to be for the Bulldogs’ sake. Injuries and illness are starting to impact a position already left thin by the departures of Washaun Ealey and Caleb King in the offseason. Richard Samuel, who Richt said had some spectacular runs Friday, left practice with a strained left quad and is listed day-to-day. Ken Malcome, already slowed with a chronic groin injury, was out Friday with an unknown illness. Brandon Harton remained in a green injury jersey three days after suffering a concussion.
That leaves Carlton Thomas, and the diminutive junior is suspended for the season opener.
The Crowell injury became evident early in practice during the brief period that reporters are allowed to observe. Crowell was dressed in full pads and not wearing one of the green injury jerseys. However, he moved slowly and gingerly through the drill work and limped noticeably when he walked to and fro. It was evident his left thigh was heavily wrapped, even underneath the cover of those famous silver britches.
“We don’t think there was a pull, but if you get enough practices in a row and going live and all that stuff, sometimes you wake up in the morning and you just can’t go full speed,” Richt said. “So that’s what happened with him. We shut him down. It’ll be day-by-day. We’ll see how he feels.”
As for Malcome, Richt said, “he’s just not feeling too good.” Richt added that Malcome does not have a concussion and does not have a groin injury.
Regardless, it’s Crowell on whom the Georgia fans are placing most of their hopes. Crowell knows this, and he addressed that and other things in his 15-minute session with media members Friday. He’s some of what he said:
- On being soft-spoken: "I don't like speaking, but I know I have to."
- On the thrust of attention: "I think I've handled it well. I don't let it get to me. I try to keep a level head."
- On rumors that he showed up out of shape with a bad attitude: "I heard all that, but there wasn't nothing to it. People are going to say what they want to say."
- On his goals for the season: "I just want to get out on the field and help my team win. That's the main thing for me."
- On his biggest adjustment: "Really the hardest thing for me has been like time management and waking up early. I'm not a morning person, and that has been the hardest thing for me. Physically it hasn't been that hard."
- On the weight of expectations: "I don't really think about it a lot. My coaches are always telling me I'm not the savior. I'm just coming out here and working hard and trying to help my team."
- On the advice he got from Herschel Walker: "He was telling me to keep a level head, work hard and do whatever I could to help my team."
- On the biggest hit in camp. "No one has really hit me that hard, not yet I don't think."
- On being heavily counted on: "I expected to play and everybody to look up to me. I knew I had to be a leader and work hard for everybody to follow me. I expected that."
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