ATHENS -- Another Georgia football player is sidelined with an injury from a motor-scooter accident -- the second this summer.
Ray Drew, a highly touted freshman outside linebacker, suffered a separated right shoulder when he lost control of his scooter while returning to his dorm from church on Sunday. He is expected to miss practice until at least next week.
According to Athens-Clarke County Police, the accident occurred when Drew was driving downhill on Baldwin Street around 11:50 a.m., applied his brakes and was ejected from the scooter.
He was transported to St. Mary's Hospital, where he was treated and released. No charges were filed and no other vehicles were involved in the incident, police said.
"Very thankfully, he wore his helmet," coach Mark Richt said Monday. "He landed on his helmet and his shoulder. Another good thing was the shoulder won't require any surgery. It was a separation, not a dislocation; the separation was not severe enough to warrant surgery. ... He's very fortunate it wasn't worse than it was."
Said Drew, via Twitter: "I'm so glad I don't look like what I've been through ... praise God."
Officially, Georgia director of sports medicine Ron Courson listed Drew's status as "day-to-day." Richt said the chances of Drew returning to practice this week are "very slim."
Many UGA athletes use small, motorized scooters to get around campus.
The most serious scooter accident involving a Georgia athlete was the 2009 incident that left baseball player Chance Veazey paralyzed.
In July, defensive end Derrick Lott suffered a deep laceration on his right leg while attempting to park his scooter outside Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall. He missed the start of preseason practice but returned last week.
"We'll look at it and talk about it," Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said Monday of the athletes' use of scooters.
"But what's the alternative?" he added, noting the shortage of parking spaces for cars.
Said Richt: "It's very difficult for some of these guys to get where they have to get because there is such a short window of time in between class and the tutoring and the study hall and lunch and getting here for treatment and taping and all that. The scooters have allowed those guys to get around, so I'm not ready to say no scooters. But they do need to be careful."
A five-star prospect from Thomas County Central, Drew had been working as a second-team outside linebacker behind junior Cornelius Washington.
Washington said that he, coincidentally, started riding a scooter on Monday, unaware of Drew's accident the day before.
"He's walking around in a sling and what-not," Washington said of Drew. "I don't think he's going to be on a scooter for a while."
Practice notes
Update from Monday's practice on the injured tailbacks: Richard Samuel remained sidelined with a thigh injury; Isaiah Crowell wasn't able to do much because of a groin injury; Ken Malcome was back at practice. ... Samuel is unlikely to return to practice before next week but Crowell could come back possibly sooner, Richt said. ... Offensive lineman Chris Burnette missed practice with a stomach bug. ... Offensive lineman Austin Long, who has been sidelined with mononucleosis, was on the field in a green non-contact jersey. He is close to being able to practice, Richt said. ... Richt was happy with Monday's practice, particularly considering it was the first day of fall semester classes. "We've continued to have good leadership as far as trying to keep the energy flowing," he said.
