UPDATE: UGA TB Isaiah Crowell ‘day-to-day’ with groin injury
Georgia freshman tailback Isaiah Crowell stands next to coach Bryan McClendon as he sits out "The Chute" drill due to a gimpy left leg. (Photo provided by Guy Prokay/dawgtime.com)
***UPDATED***
ATHENS — Georgia freshman tailback Isaiah Crowell is battling a groin injury that severely limited his participation in Friday’s practice, the Bulldogs’ 10th of preseason camp.
However, both Crowell and UGA head coach Mark Richt insist that the injury is not serious and should not significantly hamper Crowell’s preparation for the No. 22-ranked Bulldogs’ season opener against No. 7 Boise State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome in three weeks.
“It’s not really that serious,” said Crowell, speaking to reporters Friday for the first time since arriving at UGA. “It was just weak or whatever, but it’s not serious.”
Crowell was not dressed in a green jersey, which signifies an injured player. However, he moved slowly and gingerly through the Bulldogs’ drill work early in practice and actually stood to the side for several of them. Occasionally he would limp noticeably and his left thigh was heavily wrapped in an ace bandage underneath his pants. See THIS VIDEO posted by our friends at DawgTime.com,
“It’s a groin that’s bothering him,” Richt said. “We don’t think there was a pull. But if you get enough practices in a row and going live and all that stuff, sometimes you wake up in the morning and you just can’t go full speed. So that’s what happened with him. We shut him down today. It’ll be day-by-day. We’ll see how he feels.”
Given the Bulldogs’ precarious situation at tailback, any injury at that position could be perceived as cause for alarm. Redshirt freshman Ken “Boo” Malcome, who was already hampered with a groin injury, did not attend Friday’s practice because “he’s not feeling too good,” Richt said. Richt was not specific other than to say it was “not a concussion.”
Meanwhile, former walkon tailback Brandon Harton — he was just awarded a scholarship Thursday night — just returned from a real concussion and remained in green on Friday. That left the Bulldogs with recently-converted tailback Richard Samuel and Carlton Thomas, who is suspended for the opening game.
For what it’s worth, Thomas had “a really nice day of competition” and Samuel had the run of the day in Friday’s full-contact workout.
“It was the first play of [teamwork] and he ran over a cornerback and kept on trucking for about another 30 yards or so,” Richt said. “That was a big run for him.”
Later it was learned that Samuel suffered a strained quad during the practice and he, too, is listed as “day-to-day.”
Meanwhile, the buzz of the day Friday was it was the first opportunity for reporters to interview Crowell since he’s been on UGA’s campus. As was consistent of his personality throughout recruiting, Crowell was a man of few words but also of quiet confidence. He actually addressed the fact that he’s not one ramble on with his answers.
“I don’t like speaking but I know I have to,” he said while sitting on a stool in a scrum of reporters and TV cameras.
Some of the “highlights” from Crowell’s 15-minutes session with the media:
- On the thrust of attention: “I think I’ve handled it well. I don’t let it get to me. I try to keep a level head. That’s what I do.”
- On his goals for the season: “I just want to get out on the field and help my team win. That’s the main thing for me.”
- His favorite moment so far: “Being out there practicing and the scrimmage at Sanford Stadium.”
- Not really. I just want to do whatever God wants me to do. I don’t really look at it like that (referencing question about Latt and Dyer).
- Biggest adjustment: “Really the hardest thing for me has been like time management and waking up early. I’m not a morning person and that has been the hardest thing for me. Physically it hasn’t been that hard for me. I feel like I fit right in.”
- Does he feel weight of expections: “No sir. I don’t really think about it a lot. My coach is always telling me I’m not the savior. I’m just coming out here and working hard and trying to help my team.”
- On influence of strength coach Thomas Brown: “He’s helped me work out and has kept me motivated with the different things we’re doing and he’s helped me learn the ins and out of Athens.”
- On advice he got from Herschel Walker: “He was telling me to keep a level head and work hard and help my team work hard and do whatever I could to help my team.”
- On notoriety around campus: “I get recognized a little. I try to not stay out too much because I know people might know who I am. That’s the main thing. I try to stay [cordoned] off.”
- On who has delivered the biggest hit on him. “No one has really hit me that hard. Not yet I don’t think.”
- Whether he can have similar impact as Marcus Lattimore last year: “I think I can. I think Lattimore had a great season last year. He helped his team a lot. I think I can do the same.”
- On being heavily counted on: “I expected to play and everybody to look up to me. I knew I had to be a leader and work hard for everybody to follow me. I expected that.”
- On the grind of preseason camp: “It’s a lot of work and it’s tiring and it’s hard. But I love football and I’ve been doing this all my life, so it’s fun to me.”
- How much of playbook he’s mastered: “Like 90 percent. I know most of what I’m doing. I’ve just got to learn a few more things in there and I’ll be set.”
- On rumors he showed up out of shape with bad attitude: “I heard all that but there’s wasn’t nothing to it. People are going to say what they want to say.”
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359 comments Add your comment
Dawgs Least
August 12th, 2011
1:28 pm
Crowell was eating cheese burgers Mickey D’s and sitting on the couch instead of running & working out for the last 6 months.
UGAKev
August 12th, 2011
1:28 pm
Tampa Gator,
I don’t deny that. Atleast you understand how it feels which is prob why you sometimes atleast bring some serious conversation here to the table in here. I for one don’t crap on the Gators recent success and I am sure alot of serious Georgia fans do not either. College football is sometimes a game of craps and unfortunately there have been a few years the past decade that Georgia has been good enough to play for atleast 2 BCS titles and perhaps good enough to win them both. I know shoulda coulda would huh, but my point is people come in here and trash UGA like they have had no success the past decade. In a conference as great as the SEC no team is going to dominate it year after year anymore. That’s what makes the SEC great today to me. People say well Georgia won SEC titles whhen the conference was down. Ok well you can say that now when Alabama or LSU wins the conference with Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee being down. Teams are always going to be down in a conference. The west use to be down and now the east is down.
Dawgs Least
August 12th, 2011
1:30 pm
I can see Samuel running for 30 yards then fumbling inside the Boise State 5 yard line… A nightmare…
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
1:30 pm
kb…..
I would put T. King at Georgia and Deonte Thompson at Florida in the same boat. Both talented, but no much done on the field yet. But both could have break out years. Charles is legit, but he better suited at the TE postion. He mateches up well with LBs and strong safeties in the SEC (but maybe not so much with Matt Elam at SS for Florida), but not so well will really fast, cover CBs if he moves out to WR. The Gators tried that move with Aaron Hernandez a few years ago (remember him?)….and quickly moved him back to TE.
Also……Frankie Hammond played big at the end of the year last year……and is playing great at WR so far this fall practice. And….you will be hearing this name a lot very soon…..Quinton Dunbar…..a redshirt freshmen who would have started last year but got hurt the last week of summer practice last year and reshirted…..and a big time talent according to Weis….and he should know. Also….another fellow you might of heard of…….Andre Debose……is now is a system that fits him best and is excelling this summer at WR. The Gators also have Omaris Hines, a WR that caught some big passes against you guys in JAX last summer.
DawgByte
August 12th, 2011
1:31 pm
As we’ve seen from Malcome these damn groin injuries take forever to heal. Even a minor injury to Crowell a this point is NOT good news.
UGA Kev -
Why are you wasting your breath on Tampa Gator?
Dawgs Least
August 12th, 2011
1:32 pm
UGAKev, Florida & LSU are almost never down. For the last 15 years any way.
whatever
August 12th, 2011
1:32 pm
Enter your comments here
Dawgs Least
August 12th, 2011
1:34 pm
Why is the firing of Butch Davis at UNC on the video ad ? That’s old news. About 15 days old…
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
1:34 pm
UGAKev….
Georgia had……by far…..the best team in the nation the year they played Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl…..and the end of the year, that year, Georgia would have beat any team in the nation by at least 2 TDs, including the Gators….who they beat earlier that year. This team is not that good….not yet anyway. But they certainly have the talent to be so……depends on coaching them up this year and next year. But I would suggest you take it this year….because the Gators are going to be very, very good next year….and for several years after that. And I think they will surprise people with their performance this year……and I think they will upset a very good team this year. Just a prediction. But I still have Georgia beating SC and winning the East, but still losing to the Gators.
slydog
August 12th, 2011
1:34 pm
Stop the hate!!! At least we are not in Arkansas’ shoes….hahahhahha
Latest Bama News 8/122011 - Page 4
August 12th, 2011
1:34 pm
[...] [...]
Dawgs Least
August 12th, 2011
1:35 pm
As Smoky said on Friday “Why you talking bout some old shiit” ?
Gay Dawg
August 12th, 2011
1:36 pm
Sounds like Crowell needs one of those deep sweddish massages. Oooowie that spounds good, I may go to the spa today!
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
1:36 pm
Just kidding UGAKev,your team sucks !
whatever
August 12th, 2011
1:37 pm
Everyone keeps talking about Samuel – like he’s some great back – if that were the case, why hasn’t he been in the backfield the last 2 years?? If he DOES turn out to be really good – then that shows even more cause of to why CMR is an idiot – not making the most use of talent. Samuel was a 5-Star prospect and rated #4 in backs in the country – seems CMR can’t get the talent out.
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
1:37 pm
DawgByte…..
Why do you care what UGAKev does or doesn’t do? Are you going to report him for the Vampire Energy board for posting with a SEC football fan?
doug dawg
August 12th, 2011
1:38 pm
THIS IS JUST SICK,SICK,SICK. EVERY LITTLE THING CAUSES PANIC. WHY? I NEVER SAW SO MANY PARANOID PEOPLE IN MY 67 YEARS OF LIFE. TIME WAS NOT LONG AGO, WE’D NEVER HAVE KNOWN ABOUT ANY SUCH THINGS. THOUGH, I AM SURE THEY HAPPENED. OH, PLEASE GIVE IT A REST. FOOTBALL SEASON IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. IT WILL HAPPEN, WHATEVER. AND WE WILL GO ON. PARANOID AND OUT OF CONTROL OVER THE GROAN OF AN EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD. THINK ABOUT IT.
reebok
August 12th, 2011
1:38 pm
tech fan here, so i have no dog in this fight (sorry, couldn’t resist), but i think the issue for your young RB is missing reps and being able to go full speed instinctively once the games start for real…and i’m not talking so much about carrying the ball as the blocking schemes. your O-line is thin, your backup QB’s are question marks, and your starting QB is not all that big. every practice (heck every REP) young crowell misses sets back his development. i know many of you expect him to be a great back…he might very well be…but the young man hasn’t taken his first college snap yet. anyway, that’s my 2 cents’…happy friday to all the college football fans out there.
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
1:39 pm
Not my post at 1:36PM…..
this person has for days and posted as me. That is what sucks….and the AJC should do something about that…..
Gay Dawg
August 12th, 2011
1:39 pm
Deep bruises hurt….especially mushroom bruises.
GA Girl
August 12th, 2011
1:41 pm
What was this 18 year old doing last night to wake up with ‘that area’ being very sore and difficult to move this a.m.? Isaiah what are you up to at night?
Nike
August 12th, 2011
1:42 pm
Dawg fan here,so i have a dog in this fight (sorry, couldn’t resist), but i think the issue for Tech’s young RB is missing reps and being able to go full speed instinctively once the games start for real…and i’m not talking so much about carrying the ball as the blocking schemes. your O-line is thin, your backup QB’s are question marks, and your starting QB is not all that big. every practice (heck every REP) your rb’s misses sets back his development. i know many of you expect themm to be great backs…they might very well be…but none of those young men have taken his first college snap yet. anyway, that’s my 2 cents’…happy friday to all the college football fans out there
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
1:42 pm
DawginLex….
Good call out…..and what he said is completely inappropriate………and he’s probably the same person posting inappropriate comments with my posting name. Low life.
DawginLex
August 12th, 2011
1:43 pm
Well later boys.
I’m gonna go to the golf course and imagine lowcountry is a d____e is my golf ball
Have a good weekend
whatsoever
August 12th, 2011
1:45 pm
Everyone keeps almost talking about Samuel – like he’s some great back – if that were the case, why hasn’t he big butt been in the backfield the last 2 years?? If he DOES turn out to be really good – then that shows even more cause of to why retarded CMR is an idiot – not making the most use of talent. Samuel was a 5-Star prospect and rated #4 in backs in the country – seems preacher man CMR can’t get the mullet or the talent out.
DawginLex
August 12th, 2011
1:46 pm
No problem TampaGator,I hope your team goes 0-13. Mybe your QB will break a leg ? At least an arm ? Go Dawgs !!!
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
1:46 pm
DawginLex…….
Yes I do….and so do the Florida players……they are all saying so. Muschamp has it going on down in Gainesville right now. Florida will be a lot better than people think…..and the Gator players like what people are thinking….because they know the real story. If the Gators avoid injury on the OL, they are going to be a challenging team for anyone in the SEC…..or even those Johnny come lately dudes over in Tallahassee.
papadawg
August 12th, 2011
1:47 pm
Dang have most of you people never played football in your pitiful little life. You’re in the first days of practice. Strains and Pulls Happen to the best of them. Get a grip
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
1:48 pm
DawginLex….
Thanks for the nice thoughts….and try to keep it out of the woods.
ramblingbuzz
August 12th, 2011
1:48 pm
Pass the kool aid please.
AltamahaDawg
August 12th, 2011
1:48 pm
No, I get that you are glad to rub somebodies nose in the fact that they were wrong that Auburn will be shut down any day now.
My point is that I am glad I don’t have to do that.
If I had to guess, you would far prefer to give up that opportinity as well.
DawginLex
August 12th, 2011
1:49 pm
Come to the woods Tampa, we can play Gator hunting…
Columbus
August 12th, 2011
1:51 pm
It sucks but not the end of the world. He needs to be practicing now more than ever in his life however so I hope he’s back full speed asap but for God’s sake, do not rush him back in there too soon. I am sure they wont.
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
1:53 pm
DawginLex…….
I am talking about keeping golf balls out of the woods, dude, that is what you said you were going to do, right? I am not sure your mind isn’t a little twisted like the dude who commented about your daughter…..????????
JAWJeRDAWG
August 12th, 2011
1:56 pm
@ TampaGator
Would bet that wasn’t DawgInLex’s post.
Moreno Stafford
August 12th, 2011
2:02 pm
It was a blackout!!
Tobias Funke
August 12th, 2011
2:04 pm
Chip
You have to ban “lowcountry is a d____e.” Classy handle btw. These trolls are ruining this forum.
Jimmy Crack
August 12th, 2011
2:07 pm
She must have been a tiger.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 12th, 2011
2:09 pm
“Really the hardest thing for me has been like time management and waking up early. I’m not a morning person and that has been the hardest thing for me.”
———————
Crowell better watch out. Someone might accuse him of being an Energy Vampire.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 12th, 2011
2:11 pm
“No one has really hit me that hard. Not yet I don’t think.”
————————————-
Just wait till them South Carolina boys come to town…..
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
2:15 pm
Jaw…..
You are probably right….about that post. Thanks. If so, sorry DawginLex. And….if so…..this dude needs to get banned.
BigTimeTechFan
August 12th, 2011
2:19 pm
I watch film on Crowell, man he’s pretty dog gone good, reminds me of Tony Zenon.
DoubleDownDawgFan
August 12th, 2011
2:19 pm
If Crowell was comparing himself to Lattimore earlier, he is dumber than I originally thought.
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
2:20 pm
Nothing could be finer……..
Don’t high schools begin classes early in the morning? Did Crowell make it a habit of going to his HS classes. Welcome to the real world, young man.
slydog
August 12th, 2011
2:20 pm
Some of you people need to seriously get a life. Furthermore, there are so many trolls on here stirring up trouble, why even respond them. The more we ignore them, they will go away so we can have a rationale discussion. It’s the 10th practice and we’re riled up over a groin injury!!! In 3 weeks, IC will suit up for Boise St. and the rest is history. And you all know it. Come Sept. 3rd, it will be time to sit on the pot and s%$t or get off of it. And whoever made remarks about another man’s child should be arrested. Real Talk!
wiseoldawg
August 12th, 2011
2:23 pm
NCBF, better get somebody to drive Clowney around or he may be watching the GA-SC game from the Columbia lock-up. Just sayin
TampaGator
August 12th, 2011
2:25 pm
“No one has really hit me that hard. Not yet I don’t think.”
….and he is hurt already…..not good……for soon…he will be getting hit real hard by SEC defenses…..what then? Plus, what does that tell you about the play of the Georgia defense when he hasn’t been hit hard yet. I am sure Demps and Rainey can’t and wouldn’t say that……just saying.
Big Spur
August 12th, 2011
2:28 pm
“No one has really hit me that hard. Not yet I don’t think.”
Of course. Crowell was going against Grantham’s 3-4. Just wait until he faces a real defense.
Big Spur
August 12th, 2011
2:30 pm
@DoubleDownDawgFan,
My thoughts exactly.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 12th, 2011
2:30 pm
better get somebody to drive Clowney around or he may be watching the GA-SC game from the Columbia lock-up.
———————————————
haha, you would like that.
Too bad for the dogs that Clowney will be there, will play, and will wreak havoc.