Todd Gurley practiced on Monday with the Georgia football team, just as coach Mark Richt had said he would Sunday evening. Georgia officials gave no further details regarding the status of the indefinitely suspended junior tailback.
Gurley missed practice Thursday after the program announced an ongoing NCAA investigation into an allegation that he accepted money for autographed memorabilia —$400 for 80 pieces, as reported by SI.com. Gurley subsequently missed Georgia’s matchup with then No. 23 Missouri. Freshman tailback Nick Chubb took over in the backfield, logging 143 rushing yards, 31 receiving yards and one touchdown.
On Monday, cornerback Damian Swann and fullback Quayvon Hicks fielded questions from the media, which included inquiries about Gurley’s return to practice. Both declined to comment on how having Gurley back out with the team affected the overall morale.
“I can’t really talk about that,” Swann said. “We’re going to leave that to Coach Richt.”
However, inside linebacker Ramik Wilson said it was good to have Gurley out with the team and that he was practicing hard.
“[He’s] still supporting his teammates,” Wilson said. “We are just ready for him to get clear and get back out there with us.”
Wilson reiterated the belief among the Bulldogs that they can win, even without Gurley.
“This is not a one-man team,” Wilson said. “It’s not all about Todd. It’s 11 dudes on offense and 11 dudes on defense, giving their all and 100 percent, too.”
Richt was upbeat. “Today was a good start to the week,” he said. “The scouts gave us a great look on offense, defense and special teams. I thought we showed great energy and tempo again tonight as we started to feed them the game plan.”
About the Author
