A year after Johnny Manziel, Jadeveon Clowney, AJ McCarron, Aaron Murray and some other notable football stars kept atmosphere at the 2013 SEC Media Days fairly stirred up, a parade of mostly nondescript offensive and defensive linemen — and even a punter — made their way through the hallways of the Hyatt Regency Wynfrey Hotel for this year’s event.
But the pace picked up considerably Thursday, in no small part because of the presence of Georgia’s Todd Gurley.
The Bulldogs’ junior tailback no longer is a bit player in the SEC, no longer a sidebar discussion among an intriguing string of sexier storylines. This week he was front and center not just for Georgia, but for an SEC desperate to recapture its star power.
“I think Todd’s a great player,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “I think when Todd is healthy he’s a force to be reckoned with. There ain’t no doubt about that. … We’re better with him; I can promise you that. In any given game, he can be the difference.”
That’s not just the opinion back home. A record 1,267 media members were credentialed for this week’s proceedings, and many of them wrote stories about Gurley on Thursday. A quick Google search indicated they were using references such as “best back in the SEC,” “Heisman Trophy candidate” and “biggest star in Hoover this week” to describe the 6-foot-1, 225-pound athlete.
Earlier in the day Thursday, Gurley was named a first-team All-SEC running back — along with Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon — in a vote taken of the media in attendance. He was named preseason All-American and a Doak Walker Award candidate (nation’s best back) this week as well.
But media darling is not a role Gurley relishes. As has become evident during his two years in Athens, being interviewed by reporters is not among his favorite things to do. In fact, he has said himself it is among his least favorite things to do. And that was before he was asked to go out of town to talk to more than a thousand of them for four hours.
Nevertheless, Georgia included Gurley among its three allotted student representatives at this annual preseason college football pilgrimage. Wide receiver Chris Conley and linebacker Ramik Wilson, both seniors, also made the trip.
Gurley said it actually wasn’t all that bad.
“They talked to me about (attending) like back in January or something like that,” Gurley said Thursday. “I thought it’d be pretty cool. You know, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so I took them up on that offer.”
It took a little more nudging than that. Conley said he had a conversation with Gurley about maintaining an upbeat attitude and enjoying the experience Thursday and former Bulldog Garrison Smith called to encourage him to relax and have fun with it. Richt also discussed Georgia’s expectations with Gurley on Wednesday in Athens.
“I think it’s important,” Richt said. “We talked about just embracing it and understanding that if he’s going to continue on with his football career — which we all think he will — it’ll be a great experience for him and a chance to grow as a pro and also to bless the university, hopefully, with his presence here.”
Gurley certainly drew the most attention Thursday. Most of the questions he fielded were predictable. He said he would make a decision about whether to turn pro sometime after the season and spoke uncomfortably about being one of the SEC’s most realistic Heisman Trophy hopefuls.
“I’m not really big on it,” Gurley said of college football’s top award. “People say it a lot, but it’s not something I’m going after. I feel like the Heisman is a team award. You could be a great player, but if your team is not winning, you’re not going to get the award. It would be great to get it, but I’m just happy to play the game of football. I don’t do it for awards.”
With the worst part of his preseason media responsibilities behind him, Gurley can now concentrate on getting ready for the season. In fact, he said he has been intently focused on that for a while now.
He said he has shed about seven pounds since the end of last season and is in the best condition of his life, having participated in every spring and summer workout. His teammates have taken notice.
“Todd’s the best running back in the nation,” Wilson said. “You can ask anybody that, and they will agree with it. He works hard, practices hard and is the strongest and biggest back I know. He’s everything.”
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