Though Georgia’s injury list has continued to grow since the SEC Championship game, one key defender may be on the verge of returning.
Defensive end Abry Jones injured his left ankle on the opening drive of Georgia’s victory over Kentucky on Oct. 20 and has not played since. But the senior from Warner Robins has continued to rehab the injury and after seeing how well he ran Thursday, Bulldogs coach Mark Richt felt optimistic about Jones’ chances of playing in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1.
“It’s definitely a possibility. I think it’s more of a probability now, just watching him run today,” Richt said. “I think today gave him more confidence, because he was running pretty hard. He’s not in the best condition right this minute, but he ran about as fast as he could and felt good.
“I was going from one drill to the other, from the defensive field to the offensive field, and I saw him flashing across there. … He really looked good, so I’m thinking if he doesn’t have any setbacks, he’ll be able to play.”
Prior to the injury, Jones had proven his durability over the past four years. From the beginning of the 2009 season to this season’s Kentucky game, he appeared in 46 of the Bulldogs’ 47 games, the lone exception being the 2009 Georgia Tech game. During that span, Jones started 31 times.
Jones’ commitment to playing one last game for Georgia earned his coach’s respect.
“A guy could easily just say, ‘You know what? I don’t want to do it anymore,’” Richt said. “But I don’t think there’s any doubt he wants to do it and I’m glad he has that attitude.”
Houston's ineligibility: Kolton Houston's career at Georgia remains on hold. When asked whether Houston was any closer to becoming eligible to play, Richt said the redshirt sophomore was "still in the same situation" he has been in since he arrived in Athens nearly three years ago.
Houston enrolled in January 2010 and tested positive for a banned substance he used after shoulder surgery performed while he was in high school. The substance has remained in Houston’s system, preventing the offensive tackle from reaching an acceptable threshold for the NCAA to restore his eligibility. If and when Houston reaches that threshold, he would be cleared to play immediately.
Does Houston even have the desire to play anymore?
“You’d have to ask him,” Richt said. “It’s been tough on him to go this long and not get a chance to play. I’m not sure where he’s at on that. We’re in a situation where, whether he plays or doesn’t play, he is part of our 85 (scholarship limit) number. … We can’t give him a DQ on this thing. He’s either going to make it or he’s not, but in the meantime, he counts as part of the 85. If he ever gets to the point where he reaches whatever threshold they’re looking for and he still wants to play, then we want him to play. It’ll be up to him.”
Etc.: Junior offensive tackle Austin Long fractured his right hand during Wednesday's practice and had surgery Thursday morning. UGA director of sports medicine Ron Courson said Long is expected to make a full recovery and Richt said it may not keep him out of the bowl game. "Not long into it (recovery), you could 'club' (put a cast on) a guy and protect what's been done surgically, so there's even a chance that he could play in the game," he said. "We don't think it will affect spring ball at all." … Richt declined to comment when asked whether defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner had spoken to Auburn about joining incoming coach Guz Malzahn's staff. "I'm not discussing any personnel stuff right now," Richt said. Garner could not be reached for comment. … Richt was pleased with Thursday's practice after what he believed was an underwhelming showing on Wednesday. "Today was a lot of really good energy," he said. "I think when it's a little chilly and rainy, they tend to move around quicker and we skip the breaks. We just keep going."
