Notebook: Georgia TE Jay Rome decides to play basketball
Jay Rome (L) scored 33 points for Valdosta against Norcross in the playoffs as a senior last season. (AJC photo)
ATHENS – Add another name to the list of football players planning to play basketball at Georgia.
Jay Rome, a freshman tight end from Valdosta, said he recently received the blessing of basketball coach Mark Fox to come out for basketball after the football season in over. Rome will join fellow freshman Nick Marshall on the hardwood.
“I’m not exactly sure when I’ll be able to start working with the team but me and my father talked with Coach Fox a week or so ago and basketball is definitely going to happen,” said Rome, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound forward. “In high school, I always thought basketball was my favorite sport, but I figured I’d have a better chance to play football in college. But over the past month or so, I decided I wanted to play basketball again because I missed it so much.”
Rome was a three-time player of the year at Valdosta, where he averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds his senior season. Rome’s father Stan Rome starred in basketball and football at Clemson in the 1970s. A four-star signee in football, Jay Rome is being redshirted in that sport this season.
“Me and [sophomore forward] Marcus Thornton have become good friends up here,” said Rome, who expects to play small forward with the Bulldogs. “We talked a lot and hang out a lot and he talked me into coming out.”
Replacing Malcolm Mitchell
Receivers coach Tony Ball said the Bulldogs will miss Malcolm Mitchell’s big-play ability but does not see his absence this week due to a hamstring injury radically altering the receiving corps.
“We’re certainly going to miss an element on offense, but other players have got to step up,” Ball said. “That’s what we expect. I imagine Michael Bennett or Marlon Brown or T.K. [Tavarres King] or Chris Conley will step up. Those guys understand that. They’ve got to make plays.”
Ball said Mitchell, who averages 17.5 yards on 25 receptions, is not necessarily faster than the rest of the receivers. He’s merely opportunistic and determined.
“I think there’s comparable speed. I just think Malcolm has taken advantage of his opportunities. He’s where he’s supposed to be and he’s able to make the play when it comes to him. That’s a big part of it.”
They said it
Quarterback Aaron Murray surrounded by reporters Tuesday at Georgia’s weekly media day and being asked what the Bulldogs needed to do to cut down on turnovers when senior tight end Aron White, who was walking by, decided to chime in.
“Yeah, no interceptions,” White interjected.
Murray deadpanned a response. “Yeah, no holding!”
White’s holding penalty against Tennessee was the first of four in a row by Georgia in the fourth quarter Saturday that led to a second-and-56-yards-to-go.
“Touche’!” replied White as he retreated toward the locker room.
Injury report
Cornerback Branden Smith suffered a slight “stinger” on his flattening hit of Tennessee wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers. But he was able to complete the game and is practicing this week.
“That’s part of football,” Smith told reporters. “All spring, all summer, I tried to be a physical player. Ever since I got up here, everybody said I wasn’t a physical player, so this year I’ve been working on being physical with the receivers and running backs. Hard work is paying off.”
It looks like wide receiver Rantavious Wooten will miss his fourth consecutive game with a concussion he suffered in a car accident last month. The junior once
Etc. . . .
Captains for the Vanderbilt game are center Ben Jones, offensive tackle Cordy Glenn, cornerback Brandon Boykin and special teams player Kosta Vavlas. . . . After facing the league’s top-ranked third-down conversion team in Tennessee (56.3 percent), the Bulldogs will square off versus the SEC’s 12th-ranked team in the category in Vanderbilt (18.5 percent). Georgia is seventh in the conference in third-down conversions at 38.6 percent.
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267 comments Add your comment
GT
October 12th, 2011
8:15 am
Is Florida favored over South Carolina?
Stan Rome was a winner. One of the top 20 best athletes to every come out of Georgia in my opinion.
Hopelessly Devoted
October 12th, 2011
8:25 am
GT
October 12th, 2011
8:15 am
Is Florida favored over South Carolina?
Vegas doesn’t have a published line on that game yet. Florida is favored by 2 points over Auburn, but I consider the game a pick ‘em at best without Brantley at QB.
At any rate, if Georgia has a lock on any game this season, it is Georgia Tech.
Dawg Gone
October 12th, 2011
8:32 am
@Hopelessly Devoted please please get help, UF loses to Auburn this week and its a toss up with USC…3 SEC losses minimum. You won’t win the east…no matter how devoted you are ..based upon empirical evidence gathered by observing these Gators they quit vs LSU and Bama…they will quit again.
WDE
October 12th, 2011
8:35 am
@All Saints that will come right after your enrollment in the “Moron Hall of Fame” by the way Congrats we all know how hard you worked to get there.
Dawgscrews
October 12th, 2011
8:42 am
What is the difference between Carolina’’s D and the Dawgs D ? Didnt they hold these Commodores to less than a 100 yards of total offense ? So why shouldnt we do the same… We may not hold them to less than a 100 yards of offense, but lets face it.. this game shouldnt even be close !!! Dawgs will win by 24 !!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
October 12th, 2011
8:44 am
Thomas Brown is Mathew Ciafero. He is a guy who has to change his handle every few months because people grow tired of this act and run him off. He has had this same act for 4-5 years now. This agenda is nothing new.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
October 12th, 2011
8:51 am
Look just because some FAITHFUL UGA supporters support CMR at this time does not make one a Kool Aid drinker.
Just because some are excited by running off 4 straight wins does not make one blind to the fact of the opposition.
Would one who claims to be a diehard UGA supporter rather had seen the opposite? The team collapse and tank the season after the USCe game?
I hope that some perspective that some have on this blog is not carried into there daily lives. UGA has ran off 4 straight wins, lighten up a litte and enjoy it.
We wait 8-9 months a year for this and some of you would rather bitch and moan and act like you are entitled to a National Title. Yet you bash some of these players for there perceived entitled attitude. You might wanna step back and gather some perspective about what really is important in life.
GOOO Dawgs and congrats to CMR for righting the ship on the 2011 season!
His problem
October 12th, 2011
9:00 am
I sure hope that Thomas Brown does not work for the Post Office.
Gooooooooooooooo Dogs.
George
October 12th, 2011
9:06 am
Let’s not get to excited Dawg fans. None of the teams we have beaten will have a winning record at season’s end. We still should win the East as Gators will lose to Auburn this weekend and Carolina still has to play Arkansas. As long as we don’t slip up, we should play for SEC championship. That one will probably be ugly as we are not in same class with Bama or LSU .
DawginLex
October 12th, 2011
9:08 am
The most idiotic rant I have ever read about alec Ogletree.
He got torched at safety last year.
He is 6′3″ 235 LBS and is a hitter.
Grantham and Olividatti both coached in the NFL
They have improved our defense each week and it will only get better with Tree returning
How about you STFU and let these NFL caliber coaches do their job and quit criticizing their every move just because you hate Coach Richt?
You never say anything positive about any part of Georgia’s football program. All you do is whine, whine whine like a dam little 5 year old.
You have bragged about being a great athlete and a great student during your time at Georgia but you are severely lacking in the most important areas
Character
Loyalty
You infuriate me more and more every time I see your rants
And you are supposed to be one of us?
Call me embarrassed and ashamed if you did go to Georgia.
TaylorWoote
October 12th, 2011
9:09 am
Glad for Jay. Good move. Congrats the geniuses running the football program for red-shirting him and driving him to basketball.
GT
October 12th, 2011
9:11 am
Georgia should beat Tech this year, hell they should be them every year. You have walk ons that got more recruiting time than some of our starters. I think that is the whole amazing point of the Richt era, we actually are competitive with a semi pro team and we shouldn’t be. Never happened with Dooley, always knew for several years we were in for a butt whipping. And who are these people comparing this new kid yall have got to Walker? Walker walks out on a field and runs over a future pro defensive back in his first game, and never slowed down after that. He scared hell out of us, for good reason, best I have ever seen, this Crowell is average at best by your standards.
zbulldawg
October 12th, 2011
9:12 am
It’s nice being the underdog. It brings out the true fans and the cry babies! Thank You for the wins DAWGS !!
DawginLex
October 12th, 2011
9:17 am
Taylorwoote
Another Einstein.
Jay Rome is backing up Orson charles, Aron White and Arthur Lynch.
Any school in america with that depth chart would have redshirted Rome.
Good Lord some of you people are dumber than a bag of hammers!!!!!!!!!!!!
evil empire
October 12th, 2011
9:19 am
hey lowcountry…read this
http://cfn.scout.com/2/1115664.html
the folks at scout have the dawgs figured out…thomas brown, keep preachin brother…you are correct…
TampaDawg
October 12th, 2011
9:19 am
So yes, I am the one the famous Thomas Brown called out. He picks out games that he wants to call losses to cupcakes throughout the ten years of CMR as his “proof”, then continues to complain about Aaron Murray, CMR, redshirting Jay Rome, and whatever else he is clueless about and then on a previous blog asks “so why are you always picking on me TampaDawg?” Oh gosh, where do I start? So let me just go with this then:
“18 teams who end that season with 5 or more losses, and none of whom would end in the Top 25 without their WINS over Mark Richt that season.
LIAR they all came just only last year, 1 bad year. B.S.”
First off Thomas Brown, you stinking little 12-year-old stuck in your room, you don’t have one shred of integrity enough to be calling me a liar! Get that through your thick skull first. Secondly, before calling me a liar, you should check your own post. 18 losses to teams with 5 or more losses? But you posted their records for the world to see and seven of them have 4 or LESS losses. 7 of those games are against teams with 9 wins or more. You have losses posted to teams like AU, UF, GT, UT and SC on there. Never a cupcake game against any of these teams. It’s the way football is in the SEC and against Tech (which by the way, you failed to point out the 1-9 vs. Tech, but then again, you always focus on the negative). Go back to your hole and quit spinning crap. You don’t know crap about QB play, you don’t know crap about coaching, you don’t know crap about scholarship allotment (as has been pointed out OVER and OVER again but you still ramble on about it), and you just don’t know crap about football. Deal with it.
Robinwood
October 12th, 2011
9:19 am
If they redshirt Rome, I think that’s a great idea. We’re EXTREMELY deep at TE. Let him get up to speed this year and bring him out next year when we’ll be missing Aron White.
Fair and Balanced
October 12th, 2011
9:19 am
Honestly, it would be nice to beat a team that is ranked or has a winning record etc. When was the last time Ga beat someone of repute? I honestly can’t remember. GT 3 yrs ago?
UGA Insider
October 12th, 2011
9:21 am
Hopelessly Devoted,
I normally don’t respond to such rubbish but the 3-way tie would go to the team who has the highest BCS rating at the time. Probably USCe.
As far as Tree returning, Gilliard will remain in the starting position for Robinson and Tree will start with Herrera on 2nd team. Gilliard and Tree are going to be nasty against UF but the 2nd teamers will get plenty of reps as well. Good problem to have. I still say Herrera is going to be the best LB UGA has ever had by the time his career is over. Everyone please note….He is a 19 yr old freshman playing the hardest position in the SEC. He is going to shatter all of the UGA LB records.
DawginLex
October 12th, 2011
9:25 am
Herrera is impressive. As a freshman to be able to learn the system and perform at a high level is pretty amazing.
We need Tree down the stretch though.
EVIL EMPIRE-ONLY IDIOTS AND UGA HATERS DEFEND THE POSTER NAMED THOMAS BROWN
Troof
October 12th, 2011
9:26 am
Dawg fans, you guys shouldn’t fight amongst one another. It’s sad.
Here’s what you guys should argue over. If by some way you do get to represent the East in Atlanta just how much of a snowball’s chance do you actualyl think you have against juggernauts like Bama or LSU? The extent of the beating you would receive against either opponent would most likely kill another mascot. Does Sonny have another one ready to go after this year?
Your schedule has been beyond creampuff. The East is in shambles. Bama beat UF up and LSU finished them off. Wait till were done with UT on Oct. 22 after LSU wails on them. You guys are beyond lucky this year. Once Bama comes back on the schedule next year, not so much.
bucket
October 12th, 2011
9:28 am
@ GT – “Crowell is average at best by your standards”. Really? That comment is dumber than all of Thomas Brown’s rants combined. You do realize that Crowell is a true freshman? Everytime he touches the ball he is a threat to take it to the house. Providing he is healthy in the last game of the year you will see how average he is.
TampaDawg
October 12th, 2011
9:30 am
evil empire, by agreeing with Thomas Brown, you have proven to many on here what was already very apparent. Knowledge or unskewed facts is not your strong suit.
evil empire
October 12th, 2011
9:34 am
dawginlex did you read the article on scout dot com regarding uga’s turnaround? if not, please do so…
Lowcountry Bulldawg
October 12th, 2011
9:35 am
Evil,
The article points out plenty of factual of information, but as a fan what are we supposed to do? We cant change the schedule midstream partner. You play the hand you are dealt. UGA has had this schedule set for three years or longer w/in the conference. Not our fault these teams suck wind. You still have to go out and play the game.
Of course it would smooth our respective ego’s if we had at least split the first two, but we didnt so no sense crying over spilt milk. If you along with many others who are on the fire CMR bandwagon my suggestion is to not pull for the team the rest of the year. Hope we lose the rest of the games. Will that suite you?
It boild down to the lunatic fringe part of this fanbase who feels entitled for some reason. We have not won a NT since 1980! Is that CMR fault? Blame Dooley, Goff, and Donnan also.
Richt at least legitimized the program again. Sure we have sucked it up the past two years, but it does appear he has taken steps in addressing it. Look at the young talent in the skills position.
We cannot go back and change the past three years, nor the first two games. What we can only want to see is the trend rising rather than falling. At this juncture the needle is rising. Is it legitimate? We will see, but damn I would rather be sitting at 4-2 as opposed to 2-4.
If Richt stays or if he is fired I still will support this program. I feel as if many are to hellbent in firing the man to perhaps acknowledge the fact maybe, just maybe this team might have figured itself out.
bucket
October 12th, 2011
9:35 am
@ Troof – most of the negative posts on the UGA blogs are from Tech fans living vicariously through the Dawg nation. It’s really pathetic when you think about it. Excluding the 2008 game in Athens when UGA was outclassed by the Tide, UGA has held it’s own and the games have been very competitive. If we finish strong and somehow make it to the Dome we promise to show up. We’ll also show up next year.
TampaDawg
October 12th, 2011
9:37 am
Fair and Balanced
October 12th, 2011
9:19 am
Honestly, it would be nice to beat a team that is ranked or has a winning record etc. When was the last time Ga beat someone of repute? I honestly can’t remember. GT 3 yrs ago?
———-
They actually lost to #18 GT three years ago. But they beat #22 GT in Atlanta in 09, and beat #18 Michigan State as well as #11 LSU at LSU in 08. Because you asked.
DawginLex
October 12th, 2011
9:37 am
I read the article. If it was written by russ mitchell. he and I e-mail back and forth all the time.
He admits he was dead wrong about Georgia this year but to make himself not look totally wrong, he wrote the article to continue his Richt bash.
At the beginning of the year, he had us at 2-4 now and Grantham as the interim head coach.
And he gets paid to do that………….
Lowcountry Bulldawg
October 12th, 2011
9:44 am
DawginLex,
I do not follow the writer of that article but as I read it I felt as if he was righting to support a agenda he had. You can spin these past four games however you like, but his spin was defintely on the negative side certainly.
Willie the Janitor
October 12th, 2011
9:44 am
All this talk about cupcakes! I really like cupcakes….mmmm with chocolate icing.
UGA Insider
October 12th, 2011
9:47 am
Evil Empire,
I don’t give a rat’s a## about what Scout.Com says…. It’s one stupid article and one man’s opinion. Let me tell you something…… If UGA can make it to the SECCG we are gonna give LSU or Bama fits beause we are NASTY on defense. We can stop the run and have speed constantly coming off the edge. This UGA defense will put you on your ass if you are a qb. Just ask Bray who was on his back the entire game. UGA is the only team that can compete with Bama or LSU and we are the third best team in the SEC as of present. We are going to win the rest of our games and give LSU all they want in the SECCG. Book it. Then you and Scout.com can kiss my UGA a##
ARdawg
October 12th, 2011
9:47 am
Troof
You seem to forget what makes college football and more specifically the SEC interesting. Anyone can beat anyone else on a given day. If the Dawgs make it to Atlanta it is because they belong there and they will show up to compete and win the game. Bama/LSU are vaunted but, they are not unbeatable on any given day. Next year is next year and doesn’t mean squat at this juncture. Totally, irrelevent. There is a reason they actually play the games, you know?
DawginLex
October 12th, 2011
9:48 am
I have been kind of a smartalec with Russ Mitchell and he has responded with some good points and is actually an alright guy.
He clearly thinks we should have won a national title by now and thinks Richt is an overall underachiever.
I have tried to point out perspective as to the lack of success our program was having when he arrived.
He calls Richt a quick fixer. I think Richt is in it for the long haul or he would have quit and not made the changes he has made, including firing his college roommate.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
October 12th, 2011
9:50 am
DawginLex,
You a smartalec? Get outta here….
HAHAHA!
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
October 12th, 2011
9:53 am
You best get plenty of beer for Saturday because Vandy is going to play you tuff. You aint what you think but that is always the case with you folks. The Gators will beat you regardless to whether they have a QB or run the Nortre Dame Box because your team chokes with you see those Gators. Ga Tech will beat you 48-45. Richt will get another year for the money issue only.
TampaDawg
October 12th, 2011
9:54 am
evil empire
October 12th, 2011
9:34 am
dawginlex did you read the article on scout dot com regarding uga’s turnaround? if not, please do so…
——————–
Wow, now he’s telling people what to do. Well, it’s ok hot shot, you don’t have to be a living advertisement for scout.com. But know this, if all the fish wrap writers were always correct, UF would have lost to Ohio State, Bama wouldn’t have made it to the title game, the Bucs would have lost to the Raiders, and we would still be under British rule.
J.T.Keene
October 12th, 2011
9:55 am
Sure would be nice if Thomas Brown had his own link so those of us who didn’t really care could kinda skiip over it.
Spaceman Spiff
October 12th, 2011
10:01 am
Looks like both TaylorWoote and GT have earned today’s “Do you just say stupid stuff?” award…
Typical trolls…
TampaDawg
October 12th, 2011
10:02 am
J.T.Keene, thanks for the post of the day
Spaceman Spiff
October 12th, 2011
10:03 am
@wet willie… it sure must be nice to be at technerd – tell us, what is it like getting a beatdown every year?
joe kill
October 12th, 2011
10:15 am
im excited about jay rome and nick marshall playing basketball it will give us more depth
GO DAWGS!
Crowell's Momma
October 12th, 2011
10:16 am
Is my baby boy Isaiah passing all his remedial studies courses?
The embarrassing truth about UGA
October 12th, 2011
10:19 am
A few facts about your UGA that you might consider:
1. UGA is the nation’s #1 party school. That means that UGA has the highest number of drunks on campus of all the colleges and universities in the U.S. These drunks keep the Athens-Clarke County jail full, and provide full employment to law enforcement personnel, bail bondsmen, and attorneys. Really something to be proud of, isn’t it.
2. UGA athletes are some of the most illiterate morons in the country. Most of them take remedial studies, which is the stuff that most kids learn by the seventh grade. But not your dummies, who you laughingly call student-athletes. The very few who actually graduate have worthless diplomas in worthless studies that no employer is looking for.
3. Even your fans are trashy, stupid drunks. Take a look at what your campus looks like after a home game, and check the number of DUIs the police issue between Athens and Atlanta after a game.
4. UGA athletes must think that ankle monitoring bracelets are bling, they see so many of them in the locker room.
A really miserable, sorry place, and a huge embarrassment to all Georgians.
MY 2 cents
October 12th, 2011
10:23 am
I heard some rumblings earlier today of Todd Granthams stay in Athens is going to end early. Can someone shed a little truth on this? Remember I said I heard about it, not saying he is.
Rabid Dawg 84
October 12th, 2011
10:24 am
Cmon man – Yes there is a bonus. It’s called rank and exposure. How FSU and Wake Forest are getting more votes in the USA poll than us, I’ll never know. Rankings matter.
UGA72
October 12th, 2011
10:32 am
Thomas Brown, et al. Please Google psychiatrists in your area. Surely you can find one that might be able to help you.
Robinwood
October 12th, 2011
10:35 am
@2 cents
No way. CTG will be getting PAID at the end of this season if the D keeps playing lights out like they have been.
WDE
October 12th, 2011
10:38 am
@UGA Insider bring it brother bring it! Love your 9:47 post !!
WDE
October 12th, 2011
10:39 am
@The embarrassing truth about UGA ..is that you couldn’t get in.
nobody
October 12th, 2011
10:39 am
Thomas Brown may have too much time on his hands, but he makes some interesting observations… Nick Marshall is an outstanding athlete…so is Tree….our older receivers have shown pretty clearly that they have very little “big play” ability and a for greater knack for dropping passes…that we recruited Cam Newton as a tight end might be telling also…but I hope not….