Richt: Drew ‘very fortunate’ scooter accident wasn’t worse
ATHENS — Another Georgia football player is sidelined with an injury from a motor-scooter accident — the second this summer.
Ray Drew, a highly touted freshman outside linebacker, suffered a separated right shoulder when he lost control of his scooter while returning to his dorm from church on Sunday. He is expected to miss practice until at least next week.
According to Athens-Clarke County Police, the accident occurred when Drew was driving downhill on Baldwin Street around 11:50 a.m., applied his brakes and was ejected from the scooter.
He was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital, where he was treated and released. No charges were filed and no other vehicles were involved in the incident, police said.
“Very thankfully, he wore his helmet,” coach Mark Richt said Monday. “He landed on his helmet and his shoulder. Another good thing was the shoulder won’t require any surgery. It was a separation, not a dislocation; the separation was not severe enough to warrant surgery. … He’s very fortunate it wasn’t worse than it was.”
Said Drew, via Twitter: “I’m so glad I don’t look like what I’ve been through … praise God.”
Officially, Georgia director of sports medicine Ron Courson listed Drew’s status as “day-to-day.” Richt said the chances of Drew returning to practice this week are “very slim.”
Many UGA athletes use small, motorized scooters to get around campus.
Tous scooter accident involving a Georgia athlete was the 2009 incident that left baseball player Chance Veazey paralyzed.
In July, defensive end Derrick Lott suffered a deep laceration on his right leg while attempting to park his scooter outside Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall. He missed the start of preseason practice but returned last week.
“We’ll look at it and talk about it,” Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said Monday of the athletes’ use of scooters.
“But what’s the alternative?” he added, noting the shortage of parking spaces for cars.
Said Richt: “It’s very difficult for some of these guys to get where they have to get because there is such a short window of time in between class and the tutoring and the study hall and lunch and getting here for treatment and taping and all that. The scooters have allowed those guys to get around, so I’m not ready to say no scooters. But they do need to be careful.”
A five-star prospect from Thomas County Central, Drew had been working as a second-team outside linebacker behind junior Cornelius Washington.
Washington said that he, coincidentally, started riding a scooter on Monday, unaware of Drew’s accident the day before.
“He’s walking around in a sling and what-not,” Washington said of Drew. “I don’t think he’s going to be on a scooter for a while.”
Etc.
Update from Monday’s practice on the injured tailbacks: Richard Samuel remained sidelined with a thigh injury; Isaiah Crowell wasn’t able to do much because of a groin injury; Ken Malcome was back at practice. … Samuel is unlikely to return to practice before next week but Crowell could come back possibly sooner, Richt said. … Offensive lineman Chris Burnette missed practice with a stomach bug. … Offensive lineman Austin Long, who has been sidelined with mononucleosis, was on the field in a green non-contact jersey. He is close to being able to practice, Richt said. … Richt was happy with Monday’s practice, particularly considering it was the first day of fall semester classes. “We’ve continued to have good leadership as far as trying to keep the energy flowing,” he said.
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286 comments Add your comment
jerry
August 16th, 2011
2:04 pm
UGA sports blog Richt: Drew ‘very fortunate’ scooter accident wasn’t worse
What kind of headline is this? It doesn’t say 5 STAR Drew.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 16th, 2011
2:10 pm
Spurrier stop talking bad about Jadeveon Clowney like that.
KenDawg
August 16th, 2011
2:12 pm
There’s too much at risk here to continue allowing athletes to ride on scooters on a crowded campus. One solution – buy a small fleet of golf carts and hire students to drive and transport players to classes/practice. Gives the students a chance to make a few bucks and keep the athletes healthy! The cost would be minimal compared to losing a student/athlete for a season…
DAWGMAN
August 16th, 2011
2:12 pm
Scooter Driver Education in real campus traffic. North to South and then the reverse. No pass; no play. One vehicle accident leaving church? No excuse for that. These guys have to demonstrate some self defense skills on and off the field. They have that Duty to the team.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 16th, 2011
2:26 pm
Sports Illustrated has SC ranked at No. 7.
Alshon Jeffery is featured on the cover along with Andrew Luck, Trent Richardson, Jared Crick and Landry Jones.
TampaDawg
August 16th, 2011
2:27 pm
ok, to the idiot posting as “Ray Drew”, you can cut out the cowardess, ignorant diatribe you are trying to pull off. You know less about this kid’s intelligence than you know about football and that’s a low standard to live up to. It’s disgraceful and pathetic.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 16th, 2011
2:27 pm
Oh and they have Boise ranked No. 8.
Richt couldn’t have asked for a tougher start to “The Hot Seat Season”
Just making up reasons why UGA should win
August 16th, 2011
2:37 pm
Just have a hard time reading some of these bloggers comments. The UGA nation bloggers build up this season like”this” is the year that UGA turns it around. Others making excuses why USC and Boise St. are not going to be very good and will lose to UGA without even a single fact to support their position.
If you think UGA is going to be good, that is fine, but please please be realistic in your comments. But the cardinal sin is to sit there and make up stories that Garcia cannot win the job, that the Drunk QB coach is horrible and that Boise St cannot physically hold up and come into The Dome and win.
Two major points….USC has E. Carolina and E. Carolina is pretty good too. No one doubts that Spurrier is keeping most of his game plan close to the vest and will not speak or show very much to the media and will hold a great deal of their playbook back against the Pirates. Second point, Boise St has one REAL game that counts this fall and UGA fans…it is against Georgia. The difference with Boise and UGA is that Boise needs to win this game in the Dome or they are out of media for the remainder of the year, UGA can lose yet still be the Dome in December for a big game.
So please stop making things sound better at UGA and worse at other schools, it makes you look and sound foolish.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 16th, 2011
2:38 pm
NCBF,
I would rather follow it up with a tough game rather than a cupcake. Look at what happened to Va Tech last year. Our attention will be a peak performance the first two weeks of the season.
this dawg want hunt!!
August 16th, 2011
2:43 pm
Tampa, once again you failed miserably at defending your argument.Va.Tech won 10 games in a row after the lose to Bosie St. But none of that matters, because you as all other UGA fans keep taking shots at Boise St, and you continue to talk about how awesome UGA was 5 years ago. but you refuse to answer one simple question? What the hell did UGA do last year, and what have they done to think they will beat anybody on their schedule that has a winning record, regardless of who the wins came against. Last time i looked UGA lost to C.Fl., Colorado, Miss.st, i would say that Boise St. could beat all of those teams. Yet you want to make fun of their schedule.Hey brilliant guy, who did UGA beat that won 10 games last year, if you think beating Va.Tech was no big deal? The answer is nobody. You are so weak in your rebuttals,it’s like taking candy from a baby, dealing with your weakass blogs.
AltamahaDawg
August 16th, 2011
2:45 pm
You can’t say Alshon’s name enough can you? Nothing wrong with a little man crush.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 16th, 2011
2:46 pm
Va Tech lost the next game after Boise. DUH!
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 16th, 2011
2:50 pm
This year, the Mark Richt Show has a new sponsor
UHaul
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 16th, 2011
2:51 pm
Yep, CMR is such a nice guy he is planning on rallying up sponsorship dollars since Spurrier will be retiring after a disappointing season and moving to Kiawah.
girldawg
August 16th, 2011
2:53 pm
Maybe Scooter Operating 101 course should be offered and mandatory.
how2fish
August 16th, 2011
2:56 pm
@Just making up reasons why UGA should win …..
AltamahaDawg
August 16th, 2011
2:58 pm
Of cource the easiest solution for those of you so put out by reading post from a bunch of UGA homers is to not do that.
Nate the Great
August 16th, 2011
2:58 pm
@Just making up reasons why UGA should win
August 16th, 2011
2:37 pm
——–
1) We are not making it sound better at UGA than other schools, it just is that way.
2) This is the first time that people EXPECT BSU to win the game. BSU has the target on their back this time. How did they do when they had the target against Nevada?
Based on physical stats, UGA should win. Based on recent history, BSU should win and by a lot. The game isn’t played on either; it’s played on the field. The only time these two teams played, BSU was supposed to win (or at least compete), we won 48-13 and I was drinking bourbon talking to pretty girls by mid fourth quarter. This is eerily reminiscent of that game. UGA had a lot of question marks going into the season and Boise was coming off their biggest win in school history and returning an all everything QB. This game also looks a lot like Hawaii. Physically over matched on both a side of the ball, but their speed was going to kill us and they had a “great” QB.
how2fish
August 16th, 2011
2:59 pm
I think you might want to review a couple of facts that have been tossed around the OL and DL for UGA is bigger and faster…not sure where you play ball at but in the SEC that is always a good thing. Some of the predictions here and on other blogs go a bit wacky but those are two facts that can make a huge difference.
theevilone
August 16th, 2011
3:00 pm
You guys are get your arses handed to ya Sept. 3rd.
AltamahaDawg
August 16th, 2011
3:02 pm
Like Spurrier isn’t going to be packing his Uhaul to get out of that town as fast as he can, starting the very hour he isn’t forced to be there. Which is roughly about 4 months from now.
WDE
August 16th, 2011
3:04 pm
@this dawg want hunt!! I have a question for you there troll boy…what in the heck does last year have to do with this year..do you think Bama will end up 4th in the East? do you think Auburn will repeat, can UF recover from the beatdown Bama put on them last year or USC from the buttkicking Auburn gave them in the SEC championship game or Bama recover from last years Iron Bowl ?? What??
NdawgC87
August 16th, 2011
3:04 pm
How about the University offer scooter classes to teach them how to drive? Its a moped for heavens sake….even a drunkard can drive one
AltamahaDawg
August 16th, 2011
3:08 pm
Other facts are that reporters that cover SC ARE saying that the defensive backfield could be even worse than lasts year. That the O-line has had a rough camp, and Its not making up anything to say garcia has failed to gain Spurriers seal of approval so far. “really not that bad” I think is his most encouraging words. I understand that’s just Spurrier, but garcia possibly not being the starter at points during the year is hardly a made up deal by Georgia fans.
AltamahaDawg
August 16th, 2011
3:10 pm
IF Saban knows what to do, why didn’t he do it last year? As Ron would ask.
Nate the Great
August 16th, 2011
3:11 pm
this dawg want hunt!!
August 16th, 2011
2:43 pm
——————
1) Your QB and his coach are alcoholics. Yeah we had a bad year last year with discipline (red panties and arrests), looks like you have carried that torch nicely for the SEC East though.
2) Your entire argument is based on last year’s team. Have you by chance noticed that a lot of the team is different? We didn’t even fill this year’s 85 man roster with players we recruited. A lot haters like to point out how many players we lost and that only a homer would think their team would get better when all the productive players left, and then in the next breath talk about our 6-7 record. Who again led us to that great 6-7 record? Oh, that’s right, the players that started last year, so in this case it is addition by subtraction.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 16th, 2011
3:17 pm
The SC defensive backfield can hardly get worse than last year.
They will be improved.
Plus, they are practicing against the likes of Alshon Jeffery.
Kind of hard to be lights-out against those types.
wildbill
August 16th, 2011
3:19 pm
I guess when we get our rear ends kicked by Boise State, we can blame it on the scooters. We need a fall back excuse.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 16th, 2011
3:29 pm
Sure…..
this dawg want hunt!!
August 16th, 2011
3:31 pm
wde, i knew auburn fans were idiots, but what in the hell are you talking about? I’m just asking these delusional UGA fans to state why they think this team will beat Boise St so easily. All they keep bringing up is that Boise St. doesn’t play anyone. Well they did last year, and they beat them. So my question is who the hell has UGA beaten lately? If you can’t beat a good team last year, and you lost your best 2 w.r’s, your best 2 running backs, and 3 of your best O.l’s, then why would you think they will all of a sudden be so improved? The answer is there is no reason, other than UGA fans think their team is better than everyone else every year. The fact is they aren’t, and they haven’t been in 4 years. So go back and worship your scamcam, and your cheating school and head coach. And stay in your sad all in family.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 16th, 2011
3:33 pm
WDE…he knows so little that he thinks you’re a Barner.
K Dawg
August 16th, 2011
3:36 pm
Ashlon Jeffries looks like he has spent too much time at McDonald’s this offseason. He looks terrible, I have never seen a W/O with a beer belly. I saw this on SI.com.
WDE
August 16th, 2011
3:40 pm
@this dawg want hunt!! Your funny ! But we are still bigger and stronger and faster across both the DL and the OL its won’t be easy Boise is a good well coached team, but they don’t play in the SEC and the size and speed we bring should wear them down…………and I was WDE before the barners came up with that little war cry..my point is this year has nothing to do with last year, for us, the barn the Gators,Bama etc..we tee it up Sept 3rd…then the counting starts.
SEC WEST > SEC EAST
August 16th, 2011
3:41 pm
http://espn.go.com/college-football/preview11/story/_/id/6865651/college-football-preview-sec-west-enjoys-upper-hand-sec-east
AltamahaDawg
August 16th, 2011
3:41 pm
OH that Alshon! Just making them look slightly less than lights out.
Yes they can hardly be worse. They could, oh I don’t know………. have a broken arm or mulpiple players with suspension, forcing LESS capable backups to play. NOBODY Has said they will be better for any actual reasons. Do you have any actual reasons?
AltamahaDawg
August 16th, 2011
3:44 pm
Stop it. Alshon is a dreamboat, nothing could be finer.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
August 16th, 2011
3:56 pm
this dawg want hunt!!
Who did Boise beat last year, refresh my memory?
If your talking about VT, I seem to remember they lost to James Madison High school the following week, or maybe it was George Jefferson High school
TampaDawg
August 16th, 2011
3:58 pm
Want Hunt must be a 12 year old on dad’s laptop while he is at work. Anyway, facts are facts and you keep jacking them up. Should we anoint every team that has a big upset? Sure, I mean that vaunted Va Tech team lost to James Madison. Bet UGA could beat James Madison even on their down year. You haven’t taken candy from a baby troll, now go play in the back yard and get off dad’s laptop.
AltamahaDawg
August 16th, 2011
4:00 pm
Weezy, get the lead out!
RedandBlackDAWG
August 16th, 2011
4:11 pm
The UGA campus is 614 acres. That seems to be a pretty big campus if you have a class at the other end and have 15 minutes to get across it.
Accidents are going to happen, and he could just as easily have had an accident riding a bike, or possibly even a car. He wasn’t even going to classes, he was coming from church, to top it all off.
Give the kid a break. He made a mistake but he will come out of it OK.
I don’t know that a safety class on scooters would help that much. I thought at first it might, but I am not sure the yung guys are thinking about a whole lot more than getting to their destination as fast as they possibly can.
Dawgscout
August 16th, 2011
4:17 pm
I think riding a scooter on public roads in Georgia requires a class C license. Make them complete motorcycle safety training and present a valid class C license before letting them ride.
BiggdawgK
August 16th, 2011
4:19 pm
I can’t imagine how pathetic and empty someones life is to insult and make fun of a young man having any type of ACCIDENT. There is no possible way these hate filled losers have any friends or loved ones and any human contact these clowns have is painfully awkward I’m sure.
If the ajc ever shuts down their blogs, there will be a huge rash of suicides since way too many of these truly pathetic nothings have zero life outside this site.
Count the number of hateful comments a poster makes about these young men many of them still teenagers and I can assure you if you count more than 3 the poster has less than 3 people they speak with daily. 5 or more and the poster is highly depressed and probably suffers from aspergers. 7 or more and the sad wretched individual breaks into tears several times a day and rarely leaves his filthy trash strewn hovel except to cash a disability check. Each day he struggles to find a reason not to end it all.
The irony is CMR and Ray Drew pray for these guys and sincerely care about them.
Top Dawg
August 16th, 2011
4:20 pm
Scooters are the only way for student athletes to get where they need to be ON TIME….. Keep the scooters, have a mandatory scooter driving work shop!! Ha… Seriously..
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
August 16th, 2011
4:21 pm
Sounds to me like there was a brake malfunction on the scooter
I had that happen to me on a bicycle going down a hill. The front brake locked and it flipped me off
Luckly I rolled about 10 times, and came out with skinned up arms and bruised legs and with friends laughing but oh well
Someone ought to make sure these scooters are maintained for safety
DawginLex
August 16th, 2011
4:22 pm
Here’s a link to an article for all you
“Let’s fire Coach Richt right now” proponents.
Be careful what you wish for. Notice the phrase “set the program back years”? That is Tennessee today. Lots of comparisons to Fulmer with Richt. You think UT wishes Fulmer was still around?
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-ncarolina-afterbutch
clueless
August 16th, 2011
4:25 pm
this dawg want hunt probably will never understand why he has stamped himself an idiot before anyone even reads the first word of any of his moronic statements. LOL LOL LOL LOL
BiggdawgK
August 16th, 2011
4:29 pm
BTW for all the brainiacs who say UGA is the only place players have accidents, AD Garrity has commented several times on the number of similar and worse scooter problems UF has had the last few years. To add to the problem there, fla does not have a law requiring helmets!!!
7576DAWG
August 16th, 2011
4:30 pm
A very small percentage of Dawg fans want CMR fired and a much smaller percentage of Alumni want a change. The very small vocal group that is calling for a change needs to give McGarity time to finish his job and I think everybody will be happy with the outcome.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 16th, 2011
4:36 pm
SEC WEST > SEC EAST
Isn’t that backwards if you are trying to make a point in relationship to the article?
Stop the Madness
August 16th, 2011
4:44 pm
No No No…just posting the statement that USC DB’s are going to be bad, and the Defense is going to be worse than last year….does only one thing….sets UGA up for failure by having these KoolAid drinkers believing that garbage. Just because it aids in your point to support the fact that UGA should and will have to throw the ball a great deal and ride Murrays arm if UGA has any chance. Nice try.
The facts are:
USC lost some good defensive players, but they played a ton of young guys last year.
UGA lost some good to great OL to injury and departure.
USC signed the premier Pass rusher this spring.
UGA signed the premier rusher this past spring.
Both USC and UGA have some gaping holes, but this is the SEC and no one is going to roll over for anyone inside the conference.