Georgia’s Todd Gurley scoffs at comparisons to Trent Richardson
ATHENS – Nobody is sure yet what Georgia has in tailback Todd Gurley. The freshman from Tarboro, N.C., has been the Bulldogs’ leading rusher in their first two scrimmages and has impressed coaches and teammates with his size and speed during preseason camp.
But if nothing else, it’s becoming clear that Gurley is well-grounded. He just laughed this week when he was informed that senior safety Shawn Williams compared him to Alabama’s Trent Richardson.
“I think he probably compared me to him because I wear No. 3 and I have dreads like Trent Richardson,” Gurley told reporters after practice Monday. “I have a long, long, long way to go to be like Trent Richardson. But, I mean , just for a starting senior here and one of the key leaders on the team to call me that, that’s big. I’ll just take that and keep working with it. That’s a nice compliment there.”
It certainly is. Richardson rushed for 3,130 yards and 35 touchdowns at Alabama, including 1,679 this past season as he led the Crimson Tide to the national championship. Richardson was picked No. 3 in the 2012 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
The physical comparisons between Gurley and Richardson go beyond their hairstyles, however. Richardson is 5-foot-11, 220 pounds. Gurley is 6-1, 218. And both have exceptional speed for their size. Gurley ran track for Team USA in Europe in 2011 and advanced to the semifinals in the 110-meter hurdles at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille, France.
Georgia coaches are saying they currently have four No. 1s at tailback heading into the Sept. 1 season opener against Buffalo. Gurley and fellow freshman Keith Marshall is in that group, so either become the first freshman to start an opener for the Bulldogs since Danny Ware in 2004.
“I haven’t really even thought of that,” Gurley said. “I really haven’t. Man, that would be great just to start in the SEC as a true freshman at any position. But I haven’t really thought about starting. I’m just trying to get everything down.”
Sophomore Ken Malcome gets the majority of snaps with the No. 1 unit and senior Richard Samuel reps with the ones as well.
SEPARATED AT BIRTH?
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291 comments Add your comment
Big Crimson 75
August 21st, 2012
12:13 pm
@12:06 … I graduated from Bama not Samford.
Samford is a fine Institution in its own right.
Rarely am I on the uga blogs. RARELY.
This story in particular had a Bama legend, so I came to check it out.
UGA Insider
August 21st, 2012
12:14 pm
Gurley will be one of the best players in Georgia football history. Write what I just said down. Remember the name, Todd Gurley.
Don4654
August 21st, 2012
12:16 pm
Actually,Since Saban arrived, Bama’s % of instate recruits has gone down due to the fact he can recruit nationally.It is closer to 50/50 now if you look at the roster.However many of the studs are from Bama(Julio Jones,Dre Kirkpatrick,Marcel Dareus,AJ McCarron,DJ Fluker,Mark Barron,etc)
haha
August 21st, 2012
12:17 pm
I know trent richardson. Todd Gurley ain’t no trent richardson, matter of fact he is just girly. ha ha ha ahahaha
Big Crimson 75
August 21st, 2012
12:18 pm
Terry — Good bantering is what makes our thing down here so great.
Lies and mis-information do not.
Some might actually believe some of the non-sense.
Twink — Nice work & no, that wasn’t me.
Big Crimson 75
August 21st, 2012
12:21 pm
Don4654 — touche.
UGA Insider
August 21st, 2012
12:21 pm
All these Bama, Florida, LSU, South Carolina “fans” aren’t fans of those teams. They are GT fans covering up to be fans of those teams. When will you guys see that? They can’t come on here representing GT, they’ll get laughed outta here.
Big Crimson 75
August 21st, 2012
12:23 pm
All these Bama, Florida, LSU, South Carolina “fans” aren’t fans of those teams. They are GT fans covering up to be fans of those teams. When will you guys see that? They can’t come on here representing GT, they’ll get laughed outta here.
——
Do you actually think I’m a GT fan?
sic dawg
August 21st, 2012
12:26 pm
Gurley and rest of backs will get killed. Offensive line piss poor. None of the backs will last
season. CMR will be looking for volunteers by end of season. SAME OLD SONG.
High pre-season rankings and fan expectations, However, just as always they will
fall on their asses. No coaching. DUMBASS DAWG FANS. CAN’T EVEN SPELL DOG
Just Saying
August 21st, 2012
12:27 pm
@Bama fans,
Comparing Richardson to Gurley…….no way!!!
Gurley should be insulted, not flattered. TG is too good for that comparison and KM may be even better!!! Go Dawgs!!!
Terry
August 21st, 2012
12:28 pm
Big Crimson 75, you have problem’s if you worry about what is said on a blog, I would say over 50% of what you read is twisted to get a reaction, real sports fans know every state has great players, take a chill pill, See sic dawg is what I’m talking about.
Blue
August 21st, 2012
12:30 pm
Watsonone: do a little research on OSU and eligibility. Also, whatever your perception is about the love affair with the Big 10, I think we can safely say that whichever team wins the SEC will be in the NC game.
Big Crimson 75
August 21st, 2012
12:31 pm
Terry — you’re right. Xanax please!!
Just Saying
August 21st, 2012
12:32 pm
@BC75
I think you may be on to something here. The trolls do sound like GT fans…..way too stupid to be GT alums, OK, maybe not.
Lars
August 21st, 2012
12:32 pm
Gurley is a carbon copy of Crowell, heading down the same path. Give him one year at most before he piles up enough arrests, failed drug tests, and other rules violations that Richt will send him back to his momma.
ARdawg
August 21st, 2012
12:35 pm
Big Crimson
Of course there are exceptions but, “most” of the haters here are in fact GT nerds. You seem like an okay guy looking to talk football. These other morons are just trolls from North Ave
bham dawg
August 21st, 2012
12:36 pm
@Lars… you are completely wrong about that.
I dropped my fried twinkie
August 21st, 2012
12:36 pm
UGA Insider……………..is looking inside his azz hat.
Sorry you are so paranoid as to think Tech fans would be fake fans just to post on this blog.
ARdawg
August 21st, 2012
12:41 pm
twinkie
snot paranoia. You have some really low and disgusting breathern. Yes they do troll on the UGA blogs changing nicks more often than they do their underwear. All for no other reason than to hate on UGA. Quite sad the lengths some of them will go
AltamahaDawg
August 21st, 2012
12:41 pm
I’d have to agree, This is NOTHING like what Crowell faced. The situation, or the dangers of high expectations. Gurley was not even the most heralded of the freshmen RB much less expected to carry the team.. Some thought he might RS. If we have such thin skin that we cant even comment on a very pleasant surprise in our preseason camp, without worrying that fate might take him the way of a former player, we may as well hang it up.
Big Crimson 75
August 21st, 2012
12:43 pm
Twink — I thought the same thing!!
Bham — worried about Mizzu yet? Is their QB playing or not?
Just Saying
August 21st, 2012
12:43 pm
@Lars
You are completely out of touch. IC had a reputation in HS for getting in trouble, poor grades and whimping-out with injuries. He was a gamble and a big mistake. Gurley is the opposite to IC and He, along with his buddy KM will be superstars together. By the way, Keith Marshall is the only player in history to have a higher GPA in HS than his time in the forty (4.3 to 4.25)…that is twice IC’s HS GPA. KM and TG will not be troublemakers at UGa so don’t lose sleep over that issue.
Bad Dawg
August 21st, 2012
12:51 pm
Just Saying, I would like to know how you already know Gurley and Marshall will be superstars? Are you basing this assumption off of high school film or preseason practices? Also Gurley will be better than Trent Richardson… Huh?
bham dawg
August 21st, 2012
12:51 pm
@Big C… Franklin will be playing if he doesn’t have a set back. I am very worried. I think that talent wise we trump them escpecially on the defensive side of the ball but UGA always tends to come out flat at the beginning of the season which really has me worried. I think if we play to our potential though and they play to theirs it is a double digit victory for the dawgs everytime. Which team is going to show up though? I say 28-21 dawgs based on talent alone.
kingdaddy
August 21st, 2012
12:53 pm
All you moron’s saying Gurley isn’t the real deal are just as deluded as any Dawg fan that thinks he is as good as T.R. Until he plays some SEC ball, nobody “knows”. That being said, how would Trent have looked running behind UGAs O-line last year? Give Bama’s OL some credit. Gurley looks like the real deal and he is nothing like Crowell! We were lucky to get Marshall and Gurley togeather and with Boo and Richard, we are “phat”!!! You idiots saying we have no O-line or running game won’t have much to talk about in about 11 days so start working on your spin now. You also will not see anything but vanilla until SC and lil stevie get a beatdown in the “COOP”…
Just Saying
August 21st, 2012
12:56 pm
@bad Dawg
I’m a visionary……just like you!!!!
bham dawg
August 21st, 2012
12:58 pm
@Bad Dawg… no one know reallys but the fact is if they have the talent to be 5* backs and earn scholarships to play for UGA then these are elite backs in their class. And no one has said Gurley will be better than trent and whoever did is just dumb.
I dropped my fried twinkie
August 21st, 2012
1:00 pm
KingDaddy………….I said the same thing about VANDY. I don’t think VANDY is that great yet. They have to prove it more. The same was said about Miss St in 2009-2010.
Until a player of team proves it on the field it is all guessing ie. preseason polls and all-americans.
Does it really matter?
August 21st, 2012
1:03 pm
Bama had a OL for Richardson and the Dawgs……………………………….
bham dawg
August 21st, 2012
1:03 pm
@Big C… is eddie lacy going to be ready for Michigan? hearing mixed reports on how bad the ankle and knee are
Dawg Haus
August 21st, 2012
1:06 pm
Gurley sounds like a humble kid who’s ready to work hard. Just what we needed. Good luck out there, #3!
Kingdaddy's Math Tutor
August 21st, 2012
1:08 pm
@ Fantasy Dawg:
He is much more handsome than Trent but then again almost everybody is. I would be thrilled to see Gurley match or exceed Trent’s accomplishments and match Trent’s draft status for the NFL!!!!!!!!!
JB
August 21st, 2012
1:09 pm
WE ALL know how Saban thinks. in 2007, He said Dawgs shouldn’t play USC for the NC because they didn’t win the conference…..and low and behold, last year, his Tide should play for the title , even not winning the Conference. Straight lace guy huh?
kingdaddy
August 21st, 2012
1:12 pm
I’m getting ready to start calling for all UGA Frat’s and Sororities to start “blowing-up” GTs blog sites as detestable as that would be. The nerds like to come into Dawg blogs in groups for support. They always act like they are from another school, but they don’t want to say which one. When you press them and they tell you what school they’re from, they know nothing about that school. How inconvinient, lol. The UGA frats and sisters could always make their “pledges” do it. As detestable as it would be to oretend to be a nerd, “pledges will do just about anything. Except eat a booger…
Big Crimson 75
August 21st, 2012
1:14 pm
Bham — I was going to post earlier this season could come down to frosh RBs!
Bama will be relying on Yeldon & Hart as much as ga needs gurley and Marshall.
We need Lacy for big blue. Experience is one of our edges in that game.
I think y’all win in the 4th qtr. mizzu comes out like gang-busters, then ga takes control!!
It’s a very good test for ga.
Tommy
August 21st, 2012
1:17 pm
I think the headline is a bit misleading given the content of the player’s quote. “Scoff” implies hubris, and I expected his quote to read, “Are you kidding?! I’m much better.” Instead, he was very humble regarding the comparison. Perhaps “Gurley shies away from comparison to Trent Richardson” would have been more accurate.
Also, “Roll Tide Roll,” please relinquish your screen name and keep your trolling to Finebaum. I’d rather not be embarrassed to be associated with lower-rung Alabama fans everywhere I turn. RTR anyway.
WDE
August 21st, 2012
1:19 pm
@Big Crimson 75 how do you see your opener vs Michigan turning out? I think they will keep it close they are a big and powerful team. The Tide turns on them after the mid point of the 3rd quarter and the Tide wins by 10.
Big Crimson 75
August 21st, 2012
1:19 pm
Jb — Saban never said that.
In 5+ years of listening to Saban, I can tell you he has probably more respect for Richt than any other coach on the SEC. Including when Urban was in the swamp. Every interview pre or post ga games, Saban was overly respectful to Richt.
I doubt very seriously he said that, especially if the circumstance favored USC.
I dropped my fried twinkie
August 21st, 2012
1:21 pm
KingDaddy…..better do it soon. the AJC says they are going to a new blog format soon.
you can send the Sorority girls and the Phi Mu Fraternity Girls to the Tech blogs all you wish. We will be sure to have plenty of alcohol on hand when they get there.
bham dawg
August 21st, 2012
1:21 pm
@Big C… he was banged up in yalls scrimmage though have you heard a time table for return?
I-DOG
August 21st, 2012
1:23 pm
These guys don’t look anything alike. Other than they both have on dark jackets, red ties, and white shirts. Seperated at birth? They barely resemble one another.
Big Crimson 75
August 21st, 2012
1:24 pm
Wde — I see it similar.
Michigan had to have improved greatly since the sugar bowl to beat us.
VT won that game!! Whitey caught that ball in the end zone for VT!
Michigan is no joke. There big & Robinson worries me.
It’s close but we pull away in the 4th!!
Bama by 13.
natedawg
August 21st, 2012
1:24 pm
y’all forgive tide roll…his sister wouldnt give him any last nite, she was too busy with the family mule.
SCdawg
August 21st, 2012
1:24 pm
Some of you knuckle heads need to chill. It was a comment from one player saying he was similar to Tren Richardsont. Its a comparason. Not that he was better or just like him. Time will tell that how good he is! I like what im reading though. Personaly i would rather hear of a Ga back being compared to Herchel Walker than Trent!!!
OBA Dawg
August 21st, 2012
1:25 pm
SEC Beachfest is down here in Orange Beach, AL this weekend. They have Saban, Miles, and Chizick coming in to meet and greet, and all the Tiders and Tigers are fired up. I wish they had gotten Richt to attend…geographically we’re closer to GA than we are to LA. Oh well… Anyway, I’m really looking forward to this season. Hope ALL of our t’backs run hard and secure the ball. Maybe Bobo will see fit to feed ‘em! Go Dawgs!
I dropped my fried twinkie
August 21st, 2012
1:26 pm
Bi Cri…..the only people/talent that are not feared or overly respected at UGa is probably Bobo. i don’t think many DC’s fear Bobo’s play calling but they respect UGa’s talent to still make the plays.
7576DAWG
August 21st, 2012
1:27 pm
It sure is refreshing to hear how humble and focused some of the players in the 2012 class. Kids who would rather let their talents on the field speak for them instead of running there mouth. A lot of the 2011 class are like that to. CMR has done a better job in resent years in recruiting not only humble kids but smart kids, one who deserve to be in college. The few mistakes , like Crowell didn’t last long and was cut loose fast. Some kids just have no business being in college.
The player who I am most proud of on the Georgia team is Jarvis Jones. This kid, from the same environment as Crowell, is very humble, focused and doesn’t run his mouth. Someone who could have been a first round draft choice last year but came back to get some more experience under Grantham’s leadership. A leader and mentor of the younger kids who let’s his results on the field speak for him. A truly great Dawg and I hope he will have a long and rewarding future as a Pro.
Big Crimson 75
August 21st, 2012
1:28 pm
Bham — lacy plays.
I smell a Saban smoke screen.
Our WRs better step up!!
That means you ….. Kevin Norwood, Deandrew White, Christain Jones & Kenny Bell!!
Kingdaddy's Math Tutor
August 21st, 2012
1:28 pm
@ Bucket:
Shame on you!!!
It is NOT NICE to ridicule the ignorant and handicapped………………………………..but it is really cool!!! Kno whut i’M sayin?????????????????????
Bucket = DGD!!!!!
dawgfan
August 21st, 2012
1:29 pm
“We get it dawgfan. That’s your perspective on college football.”
That is not my perspective on college football. That is my observation of the UGA football program over the past 5 years. We have been average at best on the O-line.
“We’ll let you know after the season how it went, and you can decided then if it’s worth your bother.”
No thanks. I prefer to watch the games myself. I also prefer to look at UGA football, which I love dearly, objectively and without bias as much as possible. I guess you don’t feel the same. Good for you. Based on my observations over the past 5 seasons or so I can tell you EXACTLY how this season is going to go unless something changes. We will win the games we are supposed to win. We have a good QB and a good defense. However, without an improved offensive line we will lose the big games. This has been proven time and time again. I’m sorry that I refuse to stick my head in the sand like you do.
Good day.