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
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 16th, 2011
4:44 pm
Alshon Jeffery eats DB’s for lunch.
Especially small runts like 5-foot-10 Brandon Boykin.
Stop the Madness
August 16th, 2011
4:46 pm
http://www.firemarkricht.net/...
WHO STARTED THIS WEBSITE?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 16th, 2011
4:47 pm
But you didn’t know that Brandon Boykin had a role in Star Wars…he was the force.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 16th, 2011
4:50 pm
More like the farce.
Boykin is better suited to be a return man than go against the big boy wr’s.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 16th, 2011
4:51 pm
Brandon Boykin can make onions cry. Much like he will have Alshucks after the game.
LogicalUS
August 16th, 2011
4:53 pm
Here is the question which just seems to defy answering….Where is the offensive production going to come from with UGA?
We have spent this entire summer with the UGA homers whitewashing every single recurring incident from Ealey bolting, to the loss of King, and Thomas, onto Crowell showing up out of shape, to Malcome simply never going to be healthy, to practice starting and now both Samuels and Crowell unable to go thru any live reps? And the usual suspects have been saying “We will be fine”, why? The local media around Crowells high school often discussed that Crowell was injured and missed significant time last season due to injury but the AJC homers simply never reported or mentioned this fact in favor of bellowing “Dream Team”.
In fact, someone {myself} predicted that Crowell was likely to miss some time due to pulls and strains when he reported out of shape. Of course, the resident homers called me a troll and Tech fan for pointing out the obvious?
Now basically UGA is going into the season against two top 15 teams with RBs who have not practiced or been limited to 1/4 speed drills? UGA could not score more than two FGs against a mid-level Conference UGA Central Florida. And that was with the two NFL WRs and a stable of upperclassmen RBs?
What is Bobo going to do with no weapons? Time to punch that panic button.
Ah, who cares
August 16th, 2011
4:54 pm
Don’t blame the scooters, blame the incompetent riders. ER, ake that those that attempt to be riders.
shane#1
August 16th, 2011
5:02 pm
Drew was ordained as a minister at the age of 18. I would venture a guess that, excluding the military, not many young men have reached such a high level so young. At least he was coming from church and not exiting an alley with a can of beer and a stolen helmet with no license. I also assume he gave the officer his middle name, thus no arrest.
theevilone
August 16th, 2011
5:04 pm
@ this dawg will hunt…….You’re the only clear-thinking sob on here. One of the best and most experienced D lines in the country going up against THAT??? That dome will be more than half empty and the bars downtown full by mid 3rd quarter.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
August 16th, 2011
5:05 pm
DawginLex
Let first say I wish Richt the best this season and hope that by the end of next season there is an obvious turn around with the program
You talk about UT, many UT fans know when Cutcliff left, UT was not the same. Fulmer should have been let go way back but leaving him there longer left the program in more mismanagement than Dooly will be able to recover from I fell
Also continuing with the same ol results moves your program nowhere just look now at your example UT
Unfortuantley when UGA ranks #2 in recruiting the past decade behind Souther Cal with the results we have had something has to be addressed
Florida made the move on Zook what was the result
Texas made a move to get Mack Brown what was the result
Oklahoma made a move to get Stoopes what has been the result
USC made the move to get Pete Carrol
Ohio State made the move to get Tressel because they couldnt beat Michigan but 1 time in the 90’s and like us watching FL sat at home and watched Michigan play in the big bowl games and win championships
Texas, Ohio State, USC, Oklahoma sputtered around for a long time until the right coach came into the program
Alabama after Bryant finally found their coach in Stallings then once again struggled to find its coach again in Saban
The point is UGA has the Money, the Recruits, and the Fan Support just as the ones mentioned above.
The question this year is does UGA need to move to a new direction, we will see, but losing to FL every year, 3-9 against top 10 teams, 13-12 in the SEC east since 2005 doesnt cut it for what we are paying this coach
and with the resources he has at his disposal. That is an example of mismanagement
Again I hope Richt has gotten the message this year and hopefully we will see a much improved team
If not UGA has begin the painful process of looking to someone else until we do find that person.
We have the school and resources for what most coaches hope to have. No more excuses
And yes Im willing to sit in the stands and watch us be 8-4, 6-7, 5-7 or whatever until we do
But again hopefully Richt has gotten the memo
Stinger2
August 16th, 2011
5:18 pm
This blog is typical of what UGA is all about. That happens to be nothing. The UGA fans get all worked up and terrified about an isolated incident involing a scooter accident. There may be something new to get all stirred up about tomorrow like a UGA player ate too much pizza and had a stomach ache last night. He was transported to St. Marys and given an Alka Seltzer. He is being held out of practice today as a precautionary measure.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
August 16th, 2011
5:28 pm
Stinger2
You really should focus more on the Security camera screens. North Ave is a highly dangerous place.
We know Tech will not ever be what they were before the days of electricity because all money and other resources are used for securing GT students 24 hours a day.
Back to work son
Bob
August 16th, 2011
5:55 pm
Glad to hear Boo Malcome back at practice. Someone must have told him that a walk-on was close to getting his scholarship.
Laughter is heard all the way to The Dome
August 16th, 2011
6:48 pm
To think that a Georgia fan has created a website to fire Mark Richt. They even have a clock running showing the last SEC Title won at UGA. This is too too funny, just like the offensive game plan put together by our current coaching staff.
UGA Alumnus
August 16th, 2011
7:35 pm
“Car Crash Stats: There were nearly 6,420,000 auto accidents in the United States in 2005. The financial cost of these crashes is more than 230 Billion dollars. 2.9 million people were injured and 42,636 people killed. About 115 people die every day in vehicle crashes in the United States — one death every 13 minutes.”
UGA Alumnus
August 16th, 2011
7:35 pm
All you “ban the scooter people” should get a life.
UGA Alumnus
August 16th, 2011
7:37 pm
Automobile accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Should we ban the automobile?
Blonde Bombshell
August 16th, 2011
7:39 pm
These stupid idiots aren’t smart enough to operate motorized vehicles. Maybe Richt needs to get them some rollerblades.
UGA Alumnus
August 16th, 2011
7:42 pm
My girlfriend crashed her bicycle on that same hill on Baldwin. I was biking with her at the time. She ended up at St. Mary’s, just like R. Drew. She broke her foot and gashed her head. It’s a dangerous curve that sneaks up on you if you aren’t familiar with the street. That was 2 years ago. Back then, there was a manhole cover, with a huge pothole in the black-top all around the cover, located right as you enter the curve in front of the Blind Pig.
But i notice, at least, that hole has been fixed since then. Still a dangerous street and curve.
UGA Alumnus
August 16th, 2011
7:43 pm
@Blonde Bombshell
August 16th, 2011
7:39 pm
based on the way most American’s drive, you could say that about pretty much everyone.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 16th, 2011
7:43 pm
@Flat Tire 5:05 post.
Very well said. I agree 110% with the your post.
Sense of History
August 16th, 2011
7:44 pm
The athletic history of UGA is full of so many sordid, sleazy incidents – dating back to Vince Dooley and continuing through Mark Richt – that it’s impossible to overlook. The school has come to stand for drunkenness and lawlessness, coddling of illiterate athletes who should never have been admitted to college, and rampant cheating by coaches.
Compared to this mountain of sleaze, a few motor scooter accidents is nothing.
Blonde Bombshell
August 16th, 2011
7:52 pm
@UGA Alumnus: “based on the way most American’s drive, you could say that about pretty much everyone.”
Especially for UGA alumni who don’t know enough to capitalize the first word in a sentence and add incorrect apostrophes. You’re just making the case for how poorly educated UGA alumni are. We certainly can’t expect football players who take remedial studies to be qualified for anything more complicated than mopping floors.
quiz
August 16th, 2011
7:56 pm
what do scooters and fat chicks have in common? They are both fun to ride but you don’t want your friends to see you on one.
NASCDAWG
August 16th, 2011
8:05 pm
Ohio State players don’t have scooter wrecks because they get cars at scooter prices.
bwkdawg
August 16th, 2011
9:38 pm
@BroncoBlue. That was just a great throw and catch, Boykin played it perfect, no defense for that. Just like the best quarterbacks will throw picks, the best db’s will get beat, and the best linemen will give up sacks, its football. Anyway you guys don’t have a Riely Cooper on your team. Post a link to uga vs boise, oh yea you guys want to forget that game. Don’t blame ya.
bwkdawg
August 16th, 2011
9:53 pm
@ uga insider @10:07am. I’ll take that bet. Nick Marshall has missed the last four practices with a concussion.
atowngiant
August 16th, 2011
10:39 pm
Im sure what ever church he went to the church members would give him a ride if he asked. Or ask a teammate to drop him off.
AltamahaDawg
August 16th, 2011
11:11 pm
Ok girls heres the deal on LOL. if you want to express that you thought somebody else said somethig funny, that one thing. When you LOL yourself, it’s just gay.
“look I am so tickled at myself” really doesnt belong in a sports blog, does it now?
Barack Dawg
August 17th, 2011
5:37 pm
Clear Channel Voice – you must be a Tech Terd. Regardless of the Boise Game – one thing is for sure. The ACC is full of cheating schools and UGA will beat you again this year.
SEC ONE
August 17th, 2011
6:28 pm
Maybe we can get the jailed booster from Miami (Shapiro) to furnish limos to take our guys from place to place as a sign of goodwill and repentance! LOL
SEC ONE
August 17th, 2011
6:33 pm
Oh yeah, I LOL’d myself and I am not gay. Speaking of which: There are only two types of people that come from Altamaha, women and gays!
meandog
August 17th, 2011
9:08 pm
Well, I kinda saw Drew as mostly a backup this year anyway until he learned how the Junkyard worked. Still, B”lousy” State and the Lamecrocks from Spurriertown will need plenty of bite from the Dawgs. Can’t wait until that magic date in Jacksonville though when Drew is plenty healthy and can apply his muscle to making the Gayturd on this circuit eat his words!
Master P
August 18th, 2011
12:06 am
Maybe richt can get hot UGA coeds to drive players around campus in rickshaws or mini-coopers.
just checking
August 19th, 2011
12:38 pm
This whole thing, the article and the comments, has been hilarious and sad to read. I feel bad for the those kids who have had these accidents happen on those scooters-what an embarrassing way to be put on the injured list. I’m not a UGA fan, but for the sake of human decency, I hope that they get better soon and that the rest of those guys who also ride scooters will learn their lesson and be more cautious around campus.
As for the Boise game, just do us a favor when y’all are downtown at the dome- TRY not to trash it too much. I know that is asking a lot of you UGA fans, but us Panthers have to play there like a week later. I understand it’s really exciting playing there because they sell beer and all, but pace yourselves and put the trash in the trash bins like a good doggies. Thanks in advance!
Those comments about women were
just checking
August 19th, 2011
12:40 pm
*Those comments about women didn’t make sense. I wasn’t sure what AltamahaDawg was referring to…