For the first time in his life, Aaron Murray is not physically preparing for a football season. Cerebrally, though, he’s as deeply invested as he’s ever been.
Months removed from a stint in the failed Alliance of American Football, Murray is embarking on his budding career as a college football analyst for CBS. As such, he finds himself as deep into “film study” as he’s ever been this time of year.
“I’m preparing from a different mindset to get ready to call games now,” Murray said this week. “It’s not to the mental extreme as when I was playing, but I honestly might be doing more because I have to study so many conferences. I’ve got to know the SEC, I’m covering Mountain West games, AAC (American Athletic Conference) games, so I’m watching film and I’ve got, like, Phil Steele and five other magazines on my desk right now. It’s a lot of reading and preparation.”
Murray said he finds that comforting while adjusting to a whirlwind of personal change. He married fellow UGA alum Sharon Stufken on June 1 in Athens. They honeymooned and attended other friends' weddings in Europe and now are in the process of settling into a new home in Buckhead.
“We’re just trying to get everything situated before the season starts,” Murray said Wednesday as members of Best Buy’s Geek Squad installed televisions and computers. “I’m still trying to work out every day, but just so I don’t get too much of a ‘Dad bod’ right away.”
One of the benefits of not having to physically prepare to play football is Murray is able to pursue his other passions. One of those is golf, and another is the Watkinsville-based organization known as Extra Special People (ESP). Murray and his brother, Josh, were able to marry those interests by organizing a benefit golf tournament.
The first annual “Big Ball Fore All” Tournament will be played Monday at the Georgia Club in Statham. It will feature a star-studded field of celebrities – including David Pollack, Knowshon Moreno, Malcolm Mitchell and Eric Zeier -- playing with paying participants. So many signed up they had to turn away dozens.
Murray’s relationship with ESP goes back to 2010 when he first escorted the winner of the Big Hearts Pageant as a Georgia freshman.
“(Former offensive coordinator Mike) Bobo brought us over for lunch with the kids before (preseason) camp and I just fell in love with the kids,” Murray said. “I asked (director) Laura Whitaker how I could be more involved, and she mentioned the Big Hearts Pageant. I’ve been involved with that every single year except this last year because I was playing in that league.”
Murray's departure as Georgia's starting quarterback is not exactly ancient history. His final season ended abruptly just five years ago at halftime of Senior Night with an ACL injury in the home finale against Kentucky. He left UGA as the SEC's all-time leader in passing yards (13,166) and touchdowns (121).
Understandably, Murray has more than a keen interest in Georgia’s current quarterback. Junior Jake Fromm is the first third-year starter at the position since Murray left. And while Fromm’s passing production to date and his NFL potential make it unlikely he’ll run down most of Murray’s records, Fromm currently owns the school’s all-best career completion percentage (64.8). More important, Fromm (24-5) has the most wins by a Georgia quarterback since David Greene, who was 34-6 from 2002-04.
Murray sees the many similarities between him and Fromm, well beyond their No. 11 jerseys. He said he’s not sure if Fromm is Georgia’s best quarterback ever, but believes the junior is making a bid to be.
“I think Jake’s game matches up a lot,” Murray said. “He is a great leader. He makes guys around him better. He prepares harder than anyone else so his guys can succeed. His offensive line is first rate. He’s going to see the blitz coming or the rotation of the safety. These are the things he does well that seem easy, but there are not a lot of quarterbacks can do it. He processes the game well, and I think that ability sets him apart.”
But Murray pointed out that there are a lot of good quarterbacks in the SEC this year. With the likes of Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, LSU’s Joe Burrow, Texas A&M’s Kelly Mond and Florida’s Feleipe Franks, it shapes up as one of the best seasons in years for the league’s signal-callers.
“He’s one of the best, for sure,” Murray said. “A lot of times it comes down to being tough. The pocket gets crazy, you get knocked around and sometimes you have to stand in there and take one to the chin. I think Jake can do that. His durability and willingness to suck it up and being respected by his teammates sets him apart.”
The best since Murray, for sure.
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