UGA outfielder Johnathan Taylor will head to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta later this week, following surgery Monday to re-align his spine.
Taylor, who turns 21 later this month, sustained a serious neck injury after colliding with a teammate during Sunday afternoon's loss to FSU. He underwent surgery Monday afternoon at St. Mary's Hospital in Athens.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to J.T. and his family during this difficult time,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “J.T. is very tough and that is going to help him during his recovery.”
Taylor, playing left field on Sunday, collided head-on with a teammate, Zach Cone, as the two juniors made diving attempts to catch a line drive. Cone, the center fielder, made the catch, but both players landed and were lying on the ground.
Cone was able to stand up with help from trainers, but Taylor remained on the ground, Bryan Harris, who was in the stands, told the AJC.
"Johnathan never moved," said Harris, of Athens. "He was dead still. The place was silent."
An ambulance drove onto the field and Taylor was loaded onto a stretcher. He was transported by ambulance to St. Mary's, where he remained Monday night.
Taylor underwent tests Sunday evening, Christopher Lakos of the sports communications office told the AJC.
“We’ll know more about J.T. (Johnathan Taylor) in the next 24 to 48 hours, and Zach is going to be okay,” Perno said after the game. “J.T. is a very special kid, and he’s very tough. You don’t see collisions on line drives, sometimes on pop-ups, but they both were going full-speed and they both could’ve made the catch. It was great effort.”
Taylor, of Acworth, played at North Cobb High School.
The son of Tandra and John Taylor, Johnathan has appeared in 117 games in his Bulldog career, including 91 starts. The Consumer Economics major was named to the SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll in 2009 and the UGA Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in 2010.
Taylor's family has set up a website where individuals can send messages and check for updates. To send a note to Johnathan and the family, please visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/Johnathantaylor.
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