UGA’s Sturdivant tears ACL in right knee

For the third time in his college football career, Georgia offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant has suffered a major knee injury.

Sturdivant

Sturdivant

Sturdivant, who twice previously tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, sustained the same injury to his right knee during Saturday’s closed scrimmage in Sanford Stadium, UGA said Sunday after diagnostic tests.

Sturdivant will undergo surgery to repair the ACL “sometime this week” and is expected to conduct his rehabilitation at UGA, according to assistant athletic director for sports medicine Ron Courson.

Sturdivant would be a fifth-year senior in the fall, and Georgia did not say if the latest injury will cost him the season or end his college football career, deferring those topics until after the surgery.

However, based on the rehabilitation time required from his two previous knee surgeries, a return in the 2011 season would be unlikely.  According to mayoclinic.com, athletes who successfully rehab from ACL surgery “often can return to their sports after six to 12 months.”

If Sturdivant misses the 2011 season, he conceivably could petition the NCAA for a  sixth year of eligibility to play in 2012. Student-athletes who miss two or more seasons because of injury sometimes are allowed a sixth year.

Sturdivant was a freshman All-American in 2007, when he started all 13 games for the Bulldogs at left tackle, but he missed the entire 2008 season after tearing the ACL and two other ligaments in his left knee during a preseason scrimmage. He returned to start the opening game of the 2009 season but again tore the left ACL in that game and missed the remainder of the season. He fought back to play last season, appearing in 12 games and starting seven at left tackle.

Sturdivant considered entering the NFL draft this year but “came to the conclusion it’d be best for me to stay here,” he said in a January interview. One reason, he said at the time, was “to make the GMs in the NFL feel more comfortable about drafting someone with two ACL [surgeries].”

Sturdivant and converted guard Cordy Glenn had been alternating between left and right tackles during spring practice.  Other options at tackle include A.J. Harmon, Austin Long, Kolton Houston and Brent Benedict. Or another player, perhaps Kenarious Gates or Justin Anderson, could be shifted from guard.

– Tim Tucker, AJC

271 comments Add your comment

Stinger2

April 11th, 2011
4:59 am

Sad to see any player get a severe injury even once. Three times is tragic. Hope for the best for you TS.

Dawgwalker

April 11th, 2011
6:34 am

Damn, Trinton, very sorry to hear this, unbelievable news. Keep your head up and keep on going son. You are a fine young man and a credit to the Dawg nation. Bless you son!!

Buckeye

April 11th, 2011
6:41 am

I felt for the kid when he tore the second one. At least it’s the other knee?

Buckeye

April 11th, 2011
6:52 am

Florida Basketball………….Felony Burglery charges…………

SEC! SEC! SEC!

Hey DawginLex,

Are these Fulmer qualifiers?

David Kelsey

April 11th, 2011
7:05 am

Hey TS get better kid keep your head up man your a tough and talented kid and you do not deserve this, but life is cruel like that, so try to keep that chin up and keep grinding. As they always say ‘once a dawg, always a dawg.” And by the way a big thanks to the other SEC fans out there showing support. I know we hate each other on the gridiron, but a great show of class towards a young man whose suffered so much over his career.

Black Mountain Bulldog

April 11th, 2011
7:38 am

Man that is bad news. Get that degree.

[...] Terrible news for Georgia offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant, who tore his ACL for the third [...]

Dawgwalker

April 11th, 2011
7:58 am

Hey D**G88, you are an idiot shut the heck up and remove the D**G from your id you don’t deserve it……but still

reebok

April 11th, 2011
8:07 am

Tech fan here. Sorry to hear about the injury…this young man has been snakebit…I hope the surgery is successful and he makes a full recovery.

JE

April 11th, 2011
8:22 am

Do these people that are trash mouthing this player realize he was valadictorian of his high school class?

Georgia | MrSEC.com

April 11th, 2011
8:22 am

[...] tear in his other knee.The fifth-year senior suffered the injury during a scrimmage on Saturday.  He will undergo surgery to repair the knee “sometime this week.”UGA has not said whether or not Sturdivant will miss the season, but it’s unlikely he could [...]

DawginLex

April 11th, 2011
8:36 am

RabidDawgFan

April 11th, 2011
8:40 am

This is horrible news. Our O-line won’t be as good as I thought it would be now.

skm

April 11th, 2011
8:42 am

i’m rooting for the kid. if anyone deserves another hardship year, it’s this young man. don’t give up trinton!

go vols.

Pago Pago Dawg

April 11th, 2011
8:43 am

Since UGA has always had a Top Ten recruiting class, there should be plenty of players to step up and fill his position.
And by the way, Southwurst Airlines doesn’t have a chance vs DELTA.

tony

April 11th, 2011
8:44 am

Did moving him from left tackle to right tackle have anything to do with him getting injured? Who knows. I didn’t like that idea to began with. You don’t fool around with players who have problems with those type of injuries. Now move Alec Ogletree back to safety where he belongs.

The Mole

April 11th, 2011
8:51 am

Coach Dooly always said we have 6 months to heal. Spring training is finding out who wants to play. Who will put their nose right in the middle. I am real sorry about Sturdivant but that sometimes happens. The kind of work outs going on now will make champions.

scott

April 11th, 2011
8:54 am

guy needs to give up football and focus on academics.

DawginLex

April 11th, 2011
9:06 am

Move alec Ogletree back to safety?

Why, so he can get burned repeatedly?

Instead of keeping him at linebacker where he can use his speed and bigger size to make tackles on just about every play?

Yeah, makes perfect sense to me???????????????????

VaBeachDawg

April 11th, 2011
9:07 am

TS is a class act. My heart hurts for the kid. He will be a real success in life. Hang in there, young man. You’ve made the Bulldog Nation proud by your attitude, your play and your tenacity.

RON

April 11th, 2011
9:07 am

MAN THIS IS BAD SINCE HE HAS BEEN HERE HE’S HAD BAD LUCK WITH INJURIES. IT’S SAD HE WAS GOING TO BE A FIRST ROUND DRAFT BEFORE THE KNEE INJURIES. NOW IT’S TIME FOR A.J. HARMON TO STEP UP AND BECOME A STARTER AND A GOOD ONE.

phil

April 11th, 2011
9:13 am

A tough blow…Hope you heal up well soon, big man.

The Original WDE

April 11th, 2011
9:15 am

“Comes from a lack of stretching. Obviously wasn’t flexible but hey, how many lineman are? Feel badd for him. I thought this would be his year to shine. The backup needs to step up now.”

From a lack of stretching? You are an idiot, coming from someone who tore their ACL playing football.

Paul N Destin

April 11th, 2011
9:16 am

Sad story for the young man. He has heart otherwise he wouldn’t have made it back from the other two injuries. My .02 cents is the guy was just to heavy.

Alabama Jack

April 11th, 2011
9:21 am

Even a Techie feels your pain. Good luck, Trinton.

SLCDawg

April 11th, 2011
9:25 am

i imagine they were switching him and glenn to give glenn experience at left tackle in case something like this happened. i agree it could have contributed to the injury though

It Ain't Rocket Science

April 11th, 2011
9:27 am

Possibly, this young man is just got knees that are not made for the type of punishment an “O” lineman has to undergo. He seems like a fine young man and it is great he will get his degree. I am sure he will be a success in life.
As for this broad that calls herself Delta Stew. A feminist who obviously feels the need to put down every man she can in life. I feel sorry for her old man, but not that much. He could have walked out the door any time he wanted to. As for how bad everything is in the state of Georgia; why the heck don’t you move out of the state if things are so bad. Yoy pay taxes to support the education system so you must be part of the problem you perceive. I have this picture of a Blue haired ole lady walking up and down the aisles of a DC-7, pushing a cart and hawking magazines and poor coffee to the few passengers who are on the flight. The way she gripes, you would think she was on the first flight with Orville and Wilbur. The change in life has most assuredly has hit her hard. I bet Delta Airlines really likes that she is using her name and position to promote their company.

AltamahaDawg

April 11th, 2011
9:31 am

Will Friend looks like a genious now, getting somebody else 1st team ready at LT.

SLCDawg

April 11th, 2011
9:33 am

its lucky for him that he chose to go to georgia, how many other sec programs would have forced him off of the team for medical hardship?

AltamahaDawg

April 11th, 2011
9:36 am

tony, not only did this happen twice at LT, but in both cases the play was practically over, so how did lining him up at RT (where he played all througout HS) contribute to this one?

1eyedJack

April 11th, 2011
9:38 am

Hate it for him. I just hope he’ll be able to walk and play with his kids and grandkids. Too many sad stories of these guys not being able to get out of bed in the morning.

Looks like Cordy Glenn has “won” the LT job. Who will step up and man up for the Dawgs OL? Not sure we have a kid coming in in the fall that will help.

AltamahaDawg

April 11th, 2011
9:38 am

Delta needs to pick a gender and stick with it. Then decided if Georgia is going to be “you” or “we”.

UGA Insider

April 11th, 2011
9:49 am

There is NO reason the AJC should allow comments on this sensitive matter. I demand AJC take this blog down immediately. It;s just filled with a bunch of classless trolls who have nothing better to do but insult the guy.

tony

April 11th, 2011
9:50 am

Move alec Ogletree back to safety?

Why, so he can get burned repeatedly?

You making up stuff young man. When did Alec ever get burned repeatedly? If anything, he helped improve their pass defense from a year ago. Recievers feared going across the middle of the field with Alec in the secondary.

2009-10 Pass Defense Rank 51st

2010-11 Pass Defense Rank 17th

footballfan-365

April 11th, 2011
9:51 am

man I hate this happened to ts hopefully his family took out an ins. policy. This is exactly why I dont blame guys for taking a chance at the nfl, one freak play and your career could be over! Keep your head up ts!

It is what it is

April 11th, 2011
9:57 am

Get better soon.. We’ll miss that guy this year, trust me.

[...] during which offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant suffered a torn ACL for the third time. Click here,  here and here for [...]

SLCDawg

April 11th, 2011
10:01 am

the only upside for the dawgs is it didnt happen in august or september, i believe he can come back again if he wants too for one more season, i hope that he will. is there any way the school can insure some of these guys against injury/disabillity as many probably cannot afford it? i’m sure the NCAA would never allow it. it seems pretty unfair that you have to go to college before you play pro but if you’re injured badly in college your basically S.O.o.L.

npgator

April 11th, 2011
10:05 am

That is terrible – i hope things work out for him as he is a very good player.

Dawg Trainer

April 11th, 2011
10:09 am

Normally, the Dawg Trainer (Tennessee fan for the unfamiliar) would take this time for training some Dawgs. But this ‘Delta Stewardess’ is giving us non-Dawg fans a bad name. First of all, he’s not a woman, nor a stewardess. NO flight attendant in 2011 would refer to him/herself as a ’stewardess’. Secondly, while I enjoy poking fun at fans (never players), injuries are off-limits to me and should be off-limits to every other poster as well. We should commiserate for him and offer our encouragement…Dawg and non-Dawg alike.

DawginLex

April 11th, 2011
10:10 am

go back and look at the Auburn game and tell me who the young man was with a “G” on his helmet that those td passes were flying over…………….

ogletree is now 6′4″ 250 and is going to start at linebacker and has the potential to be all SEC. He is not moving back to safety.

DawginLex

April 11th, 2011
10:11 am

amen Dawg Trainer, even TROLLS should have standards…………

dt4c

April 11th, 2011
10:16 am

Honestly, Delta Stewardess should be banned for life from this blog. There is no excuse for this kind of behavior. AJC monitors, where in the world are you? I hope if he/she is a Delta employee they find out who he/she is and fires their ass.

dawgster

April 11th, 2011
10:34 am

If everyone will report “Delta Stewardess’s” comments in ‘report this comment”, theres a good possiblility that alot the comments will be deleted…Of course you have the right to say and express your opinions, but when they are as classless and disrespectful as these are, there is no relevancy to the comments being given any space on here…go dawgs

T-O-P-L-E-S-S

April 11th, 2011
10:38 am

They have not called themselves “:stewardess’s ” in 20 years. They prefer the word “flight attendants” therefore it is my belief this is the same guy who uses Mike P, and other names to post comments under various alias’s

MarNel

April 11th, 2011
10:50 am

Though I’m a Tennessee fan, this is terrible for the young man. He has faced setback after setback, and still marches on. It is clear he loves his school and being a ‘Dawg . . . I for one wish him well and hope he can make it back. I’m sure he has the heart!
Go Big Orange!

AltamahaDawg

April 11th, 2011
11:09 am

In my book, there’s no difference between being some little twerp trying to pretend to be somebody else, and actually being the somebody else, but nobody can tell the difference. Although, come to think of it, the later one is much worse.

dawgfacedboy

April 11th, 2011
11:27 am

Delta Stewardess- Not really the appropriate “I told you so” situation. What exactly was he risking by coming back?? He’ll still be able to walk. The kid was a freshman AA with great potential. If he makes it to the NFL he can support his entire family. What’s the risk?

This is why ..........

April 11th, 2011
11:46 am

Our O line recruiting with CMR has been to slect or target ONLY the top top guys then go after them. The results have been very very mediocre. This young North Carolina man has given it his all, so this is no slap at him. Good luck TS.

This injury is why UGA every year, needs to sign linemen, linemen and more linemen. We lose them like crazy every year and as the season wears on, we are short handed because we did not sign tons of just good linemen ………….. an ALL WORLD BUT INJURED player does no good for anyone, except the Athens surgeons.

Go Dogs

Delbert D.

April 11th, 2011
11:50 am

Really tough news for Sturdivant. I hope he focuses on getting his degree and moves on with his life.