UGA 5-star LB Ray Drew injured in Sunday scooter accident
Ray Drew poses for his AJC Super 11 photo last summer. (Photo by Jason Getz)
ATHENS – Another weekend, another scooter crash.
The latest victim is linebacker Ray Drew. The star freshman from Thomasville apparently wiped out on his scooter Sunday coming home from church and suffered a sprained shoulder as a result. UGA announced the accident in a two-sentence news release sent out at 9:01 a.m. Monday morning. The exact extent of Drew’s injuries is unknown but availability for practice is “day-to-day,” according to UGA director of sports medicine Ron Courson.
Drew was a five-star-rated recruiting prospect and high school All-American coming out of Thomas County Central. He’s currently running second-team weakside (or Will) linebacker behind junior Cornelius Washington.
Drew was not available for comment but sent out a tweet on Twitter.com indicating his was going to be OK. “I’m so glad I don’t look like what I’ve been through . . . praise God.”
Defensive end Derrick Lott suffered a gash on his right leg in a scooter accident earlier this summer and was sidelined for a month. Linebacker Chase Vasser had an accident with injuries in the spring of 2010. And, of course, baseball player Chance Veazey was paralyzed after a scooter accident in 2009.
Dozens of football players and other UGA athletes use the small, motorized scooters to zip around campus because they’re easy to park and inexpensive to operate. An area next to the Butts-Mehre football complex is known as “scooter alley” because of the dozens of scooters parked there daily.
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328 comments Add your comment
Tech '10
August 15th, 2011
1:45 pm
@WDE: ha, touche.
Auburn looks to be in some trouble with that, DawginLex.
Tech '10
August 15th, 2011
1:46 pm
ok, comment about Auburn retracted..
bubba4dawgs
August 15th, 2011
1:47 pm
Hey Big Ray! Bring your mule up from South Georgia…..forget that scooter! Sooooo glad you’re here! Please be safe! We need you and about 2 dozen more like you! GO DAWGS!!
wes
August 15th, 2011
1:48 pm
True athletes don’t fall of scooters.
This kid only had 4 sacks his senior year. Not surprising he’s a clutzy idiot.
Whiskeydawg
August 15th, 2011
1:49 pm
I’m convinced a Tech graduate opened the scooter franchise in Athens.
doug dawg
August 15th, 2011
1:51 pm
times have changed, for sure.when i was a frosh a uga, a ‘rule’ known as in loco parentis held sway.
that meant ‘parent in the location.’ the university was ‘parent.’ freshmen men and women had to live in a freshman/woman dorm. for men it was reed hall or the dorm next door. no apartments; no cars. women had to be in their dorm by 1030 pm on weekdays and, as i remember, by midnight on weekends. house mother stood at the door; lateness meant grounding for some period of time. women could not wear shorts on campus. athletes lived in what we called the ‘animal’ house dorm over on ag hill. mcwhorter. not in regular dorms. dean tate knew every man, and transgressions of a serious nature warranted a call to parents, or worse. in loco parentis went the way of the dodo bird looooooooong ago. for better or worse. now anything goes. mr. richt and his staff have really only limited powers to control the lives of their players. they are still teens, most of them, but are assumed to be adults. they aren’t, of course. but that is the way it is. like it or lump it.
LogicalUS
August 15th, 2011
1:52 pm
Exactly how long is he supposed to miss and how long before he is back out of a green jersey? I wonder how much he was really going to contribute? Sprained shoulder doesn’t sound to bad except he is a LB.
This is another small hit in that he is a young player who will miss practice reps, so I suspect that any of his contributions for this season will be postponed to later in the season.
Brian
August 15th, 2011
1:52 pm
well at least we know that UGA players are not being paid off.. they ride scooters!
GET DOWN BIG MAN
August 15th, 2011
1:53 pm
I think the coach should tell every player they are welcome to ride their scooters –as long as they wear their fotball equipment.
AltamahaDawg
August 15th, 2011
1:57 pm
SC secondary was a trainwreck at the scrimmage. Much worse than last year’s squad (which was worse than the year before). LBs not particularly impressive.. D-line looking good. O-line officially “very thin”. Lattimore deemed already in good enough shape, didn’t even carry the ball. AKA, he IS the team. Garcia, not holding his job.
Delbert D.
August 15th, 2011
2:02 pm
Make them ride tricycles like Georgia Tech does in their homecoming races.
BG
August 15th, 2011
2:03 pm
Every team in the SEC has players using scooters to get around campus and town.
Chuck Allison
August 15th, 2011
2:05 pm
Scooter operation is far too complicated for a UGA football player. For that matter, a 10 speed bicycle is also too complex. UGA needs to provide shuttle service to protect their players and keep them from having to try to figure out how to ride scooters and bikes.
Wreck 'Em
August 15th, 2011
2:08 pm
Wow. Seriously, walk like everyone else. I do hope he’s ok, I wouldn’t wish physical injury on any player.
DD
August 15th, 2011
2:12 pm
Was it HOT!
bulldogmaniac
August 15th, 2011
2:16 pm
at least he was on his way back from church and not from a bar.
PS – we need to require training wheels with scooters.
HECKLE
August 15th, 2011
2:18 pm
Cynthia Tucker!! Just what UGA needs….another far-left winger on campus!!!!!!!!!
Stinger2
August 15th, 2011
2:18 pm
Too much said about something that was not really newsworthy.
WDE
August 15th, 2011
2:23 pm
@Stinger2 I could not agree more…
AltamahaDawg
August 15th, 2011
2:28 pm
Uf had a linemen injured on a Scoooter not too long ago. I guess they didn’t get the sissy memo.
Dem Dawg
August 15th, 2011
2:30 pm
OK you bike and bus proponents. How many of you get up at 5 AM for workouts, then go to practice and beat one another up, then take a mid day break, then go back out in 100 degree heat to beat one another up again, then run gassers till you puke while still taking some classes so you can play a game that entertains the masses and brings in multiple millions of dollars to your university while you get a few lousey bucks a month and the use of a scooter to help your tired and beat up legs. What do you bikers do? Ride your bike to class, study hard, take naps, chase chicks, and drink beer the rest of the day? Yeah, that’s tough. Get real. The players work hard for UGA and have earned the stinking scooters, and accidents will happen.
Joey
August 15th, 2011
2:36 pm
If Drew had fell in the shower, would you “ban scooter!” folks want to ban showers?
7576DAWG
August 15th, 2011
2:40 pm
I have known a lot of journalist in my life and most are very liberal and are never middle of the road . They are far left or far right. I don’t know anything about Tucker but I support her being on campus because not one student is forced to take her class and I am 100% for freedom of speech. This is 2011 not 1900. I may or may not support what she thinks but I do support her being able to say it.
LawDawg
August 15th, 2011
2:40 pm
Nothing Could Be Finer: Dude, you need to learn a little about football before you post. WLB (in particular) and SLB in a 3-4 is sort of a tweener position between a 4-3 DE and OLB and often play more of a rush end position and often even have there hand in the ground (see, e.g., almost every play by Justin Houston last year). They rarely, if ever, guard a slot receiver. In a 3 receiver set, you will likely see a 3-3 or 4-2 front (with Drew or whoever moved up to 4th DL) and an extra CB. If not, it will likely be a zone look or the FS covering.
LawDawg
August 15th, 2011
2:41 pm
7576 DAWG: I am going to call BS.
george
August 15th, 2011
2:44 pm
how many more students have to have life changing injuries before these death traps are banned?
ARdawg
August 15th, 2011
2:45 pm
Wrecked the scooter on the way home from church. We’ll take this news and be thankful Jay wasn’t badly hurt. AJC is just reporting and not making up any accusations. It is a no news item
In_the_cellar
August 15th, 2011
2:45 pm
Well when they graduate from UGA in journalism taught by Cynthia Tucker, they will learn the scooters are made by the white man and stop riding them.
Not Impressed
August 15th, 2011
2:47 pm
Another knuckle brained dimwitted athlete gets hurt on a scooter – when is CMR and the rest of you athletic dolts going to learn – if you can’t walk, stay off the dang scooters….What a freaking bunch of idiots!!!!! CMR you might as well get on the fastest scooter out of town because this will be your last (partial) season at Georgia and it can’t happen too fast for me.
DC
August 15th, 2011
2:51 pm
ok now people are comparing taking a shower to driving a scooter…
Melee in Memorial Hall
August 15th, 2011
2:55 pm
Let’s just face it. Anything related to scooters and UGA Football Players just don’t mix. Riding scooters the wrong way down one-way streets, riding scooters without helmets, riding scooters without a license, stealing scooter helmets (sorry abt. that Tree,) and now wrecking on scooters. Please guys…for the love of the Bulldog Nation, stay away from all things SCOOTER!!!!
BiggdawgK
August 15th, 2011
2:56 pm
No scooter problems at bama or the barn or gaytorville or tech because they are paying their players and they can afford a car. Yet another necessary drawback to having an upstanding man like CMR run a clean program.
Sad but true that tech runs a program rife with lieing and cheating and they are still so pathetic.
Joey
August 15th, 2011
2:57 pm
Not comparing – just poking fun at those who think you can ban or legislate accidents away.
ATL Sports Fan
August 15th, 2011
3:00 pm
Funny how the AJC seems to report on every little thing out of Athens. They blew the whole Richard Samuel and Isaiah Crowell injury out of proportion and now this. AJC, you are aware if UGA played this weekend, all three players would be able to play.
Kerryb
August 15th, 2011
3:01 pm
Coach, Please ban the scooters now! Obviously these guys do not know how to ride them safely.
Dawg1958
August 15th, 2011
3:03 pm
Jake Scott rode his motorcycle over the top of Stegeman when it was under construction. Ban the stinkin’ scooters!
Will
August 15th, 2011
3:05 pm
The ONLY thing I can guarantee about Athens this upcoming fall will be that Widespread Panic will be fking awesome on October 9!!!!!!!!!!
7576DAWG
August 15th, 2011
3:09 pm
Drew has way to much to lose to be doing anything that is dangerous. He is plenty old enough to drive a scooter if he wants but the question is should he take that risk. I majored in Risk Management at UGA and depending on what is going on in my life presently sets what my priorities are and will do things or stop doing things depending what take precedence. I know it saves a lot of money and totally makes sense but it’s one thing that you have no control over your outcome of getting to one place safe or not. Too many variables too have to negotiate and if something happens you have no protection.
WDE
August 15th, 2011
3:09 pm
@Not Impressed I’m sorry I’m doing my best to give you the benefit of the doubt..oh well I tried your a knuckle head if ever there was one, in a free country a young man has a minor accident while driving a legal vehicle in a perfectly legal manner (no tickets given) and LO and behold your 3rd world stupid self wants to blame in on CMR…… what next you knuckle dragging moron, are you going to lay the hiring of Cynthia Tucker at his feet too?
Ace
August 15th, 2011
3:09 pm
Its the kids, not the toys.
schmeckdawg
August 15th, 2011
3:09 pm
Joey
August 15th, 2011
2:36 pm
If Drew had fell in the shower, would you “ban scooter!” folks want to ban showers?
———————————————————————————————————-
Are you a complete idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sherry
August 15th, 2011
3:11 pm
Maybe it the way they drive the scooter. Wiping out sounds like maybe he was going to fast.
seabass
August 15th, 2011
3:11 pm
Have you ever walked around the UGA campus! Man its the size of a city. And you have 15 minutes to get to one class to another, which may be a mile or more away.
In_the_cellar
August 15th, 2011
3:18 pm
Well hiring Cynthia Tucker limited the college disciplines to sports. If you graduate with any kind of academic degree, you are mostly likely a racist.
Joey
August 15th, 2011
3:20 pm
Probably no more than anybody else here, schmeckdawg.
However, I am quick enough to spot sarcasm when I read it . . .
JB
August 15th, 2011
3:21 pm
Cynthia Tucker pls stay in Iran. Mike Adams > seriously????
UGA Alumnus
August 15th, 2011
3:27 pm
@funny…
August 15th, 2011
10:15 am
Get real. Other students do ride scooters. The idea that scooters “get in the way of buses, cars” etc. is absurd. Cars get in the way on campus. There should be more bikes and scooters and less cars and trucks on all of Athens’ roads, including UGA’s campus. How could a scooter possibly be “a sense of entitlement?” So riding a lowly scooter puts students above the rich kids in their BMWs and SUVs?
Learn the rules of the road. Bikes and scooters have as much right to the road as cars and SUVs. It’s gas guzzling cars that are destroying the planet and causing oil dependency to terrorist nations.
The players are doing us all a favor by riding scooters (whether they realize it or not). But these young kids clearly need to take a course in scooter safety.
Dawg4Ever
August 15th, 2011
3:31 pm
Cynthia Tucker at UGA? That does it. I’m changing my handle to Dawg4OneMoreDay. Tucker is not a journalist. She’s a liberal idiot.
savannahdawg
August 15th, 2011
3:33 pm
I see it here in Savannah all day long. These kids on these scooters driving like idiots, not being safe. Traffic laws not being obeyed, speeding, taking corners too fast, assuming the car coming at you will see you and simply stop, etc, etc., and of course not wearing a helmet. You guys need to be smarter and stop thinking you’re invincible, before someone gets killed. Because it’s going to happen sooner than later.
When are you guys going to stop acting like idiots already. It’s always something with you kids. Legal or not, you all seem to enjoy finding ways to be stupid!
Enough damn it! Grow up and act like responsible adults!!!
UGA Alumnus
August 15th, 2011
3:34 pm
@schmeckdawg
August 15th, 2011
10:23 am
The vast majority of other UGA students drive the nice cars their mommies and daddies bought them. The students whose parents didn’t buy them a nice car either bike, use the bus, walk, or use a scooter – non-athletes included.
I never had a car at UGA. I walked and biked. I had non-athlete friends who rode scooters.
You people seem to think that anything that jeopardizes your chance of a football win on saturday in the fall is an evil.
How would you feel if your boss stepped in and told you what you could or couldn’t use as a mode of transportation?
The fascist rednecks always raise their uneducated heads when these articles get written.