Aaron Murray focused on his father as Bulldogs put South Carolina behind them

Aaron Murray poses with his family, including his father Dennis (L) following graduation last fall. (Murray family photo)

Aaron Murray poses with his family, including his father Dennis (L) following graduation last fall. (Murray family photo)

ATHENS – When Aaron Murray tweeted Sunday, “probably the worst 12 hours of my life,” he wasn’t just talking about Saturday night’s 35-7 loss to South Carolina.

Murray found out that his father, Denny Murray, had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. “Papa Murray,” as Aaron referred to him in another tweet, underwent surgery today at the Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa. The family reports that it went well and he is recovering.

Apparently Denny Murray had been diagnosed “a few weeks ago,” but the parents told Aaron only on Sunday. Aaron Murray and his brother drove to Tampa yesterday.

The distressing news followed a depressing Saturday night for Murray and his roommate, linebacker Christian Robinson. As revealed in a tweet from Robinson, they returned from the team’s trip to Columbia to find their rented home in Athens egged and rolled with toilet paper. “Seems that people turn on you when you’re not perfect. Thought we were in this together,” Robinson wrote.

Word is good Samaritans later cleaned up the mess.

So there’s a lot more on Murray’s mind today than the Bulldogs’ poor showing in Columbia. Please keep that in mind going forward.

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351 comments Add your comment

DAWG FAN WIN, LOSE OR TIE

October 8th, 2012
11:34 am

hirejongruden YOU AND ALL YOUR KIND ARE A BUNCH OF IDIOTS, YOU REALLY HELP RECRUITING WITH THESE MORONIC COMMENTS. ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR ROLLING MURRAY’S HOME? AND YOU WHERE PROBALLY AT THE BRAVES GAME FRIDAY THROWING BEER BOTTLES. STUPID MORANS, CMR HAS MORE CLASS THAN EVERYONE OF YOU HATERS PUT TOGETHER. GO ROOT FOR TECH, UGA NEEDS FANS WHO REALLY CARE FOR THE PROGRAM. GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!

Fan

October 8th, 2012
11:37 am

We’ll be praying Aaron.

PR

October 8th, 2012
11:41 am

The REAL Dawg fans support Murray and his family. I’m as disappointed as anyone in the outcome of Saturday night, but life is about much more than wins and loses on the football field.

DAWG FAN WIN, LOSE OR TIE

October 8th, 2012
11:42 am

PRAYING FOR YOUR DAD AND ALL YOUR FAMILY AARON!!!

Craig

October 8th, 2012
11:43 am

This is terrible news. Yes, there is more to life than if we win a football game. Wishing your dad a full and speedy recovery.

Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville

October 8th, 2012
11:43 am

Thoughts and prayers with the Murray family

To True Dawg Fan

October 8th, 2012
11:44 am

Nice try but your problem isn’t the ACC fan. UGA’s problem is their arrogance.

Rusty

October 8th, 2012
11:44 am

Thoughts and prayers to the Murray family. Aaron, you’re our guy through thick and thin. Keep your chin up.

jonboy

October 8th, 2012
11:46 am

Hey hirejongruden,

Thanks for telling us where to find you and any other low life, back stabbing pricks who call yourself a fan. We don’t need “fans” like you. Looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks and kicking the crap out of you.

allvol

October 8th, 2012
11:47 am

Best wishes to Aaron Murray’s family. Sad news for the young man….and hope his Dad fully recovers.

bchip15

October 8th, 2012
11:48 am

This Gamecock is sending prayers to the Murray family. As a relative of a few cancer survivors who I am close with, I know exactly what Aaron Murray and his family are feeling right now. Remember, football is a game!!!

Walker

October 8th, 2012
11:50 am

There are a million fans that support the Dawgs no matter what happens. This will be a test but we can come back and go 11-1. Let’s show that this will pull the team closer and let’s get on the teams back and support them. You have only a handful of fans that are only with us when we win and cause 99.9% of this negativity.. We hvae some leaders on this team and they need to take charge and get us on tract. We can still get to a BCS bowl if we play like we are capable of. Go Dawgs!

BobDawg

October 8th, 2012
11:50 am

BEST WISHES TO AM AND HIS FAMILY…. PRAYERS OUT TO YOUR DAD TODAY….

Ga/Fl.Stillman dog

October 8th, 2012
11:51 am

i am a member of a cancer survivor and battling at this moment aslo. i still don’t like the Dumb play of the team. Wish the Murray family all the support, but it is what it is, They suck. Murray stay home and take care of yopur dad cause you sure as heck cant take care lead or beat a good team.. Get rid of the Coaches as well.

Jimmy and Vicki Copeland

October 8th, 2012
11:51 am

Thoughts and prayers are with all of the Murray family.

DILLIGAF

October 8th, 2012
11:52 am

Hang tough Aaron.
Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
And I hope that you can disregard the actions of a few idiots. They are not a true representation of the Dawg Nation.

UGA85′

[...] Never mind that Murray found out this week that his father has thyroid cancer. http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2012/10/08/aaron-murrays-thoughts-focused-on-his-father-as-dogs…. [...]

Hank Hill

October 8th, 2012
11:56 am

Best wishes to Mr. Murray for a swift and full recovery.

Two words for the Dawgs: Beat Florida.

Deputy Dawg

October 8th, 2012
11:56 am

Hirejongruden, I think you are entirely correct, poor Aaron M. he is seeking sympathy. The diagnosis was made 2 weeks ago, I hope that Papa Murry will be ok. This is not a seriously complicated surgery I”ve done it with a box cutter and bottle of Jack Daniels twice, all survived. I propose that you spread this email around so that fellow forward thinkers can make their wishes known. ad@sports.uga.edu

The AlphaDawg

October 8th, 2012
11:56 am

CHIP: YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS SUBJECT OPEN FOR COMMENT. YOU SHOULD CLOSED THIS RIGHT AWAY.

Z Dawg

October 8th, 2012
11:56 am

My family is prying for Papa Murray’s recovery and Murray family. God Bless.

Vampire Bill

October 8th, 2012
11:58 am

Best wishes to Mr. Murray, Extremely low class move by the UGA students/fans to egg the house. That just stinks.

Love them Dogs

October 8th, 2012
11:58 am

Here we go again “Fire Mark Richt” is starting all over again. One loss and they are at it again. Lets face it South Carolina was the better team Saturday night. Does not mean we need to fire Mark! I would think that if all these people that want to fire Mark had a bad day at there job, it would be a differnt song then. There is still alot of football to play…I for one do not belive that SC will go all year undefeated. There is more to life than football Aaron I will be praying for your dad. As a cancer survivor myself I know what your family is going thru. Keep your head up high buddy…ingore the ingnorant comments.
Go Dawgs!

class of 86

October 8th, 2012
11:59 am

Aaron Murray is a DGD and a great quarterback. Thoughts and prayers for the entire Murray family today. Aaron you are loved by thousands of Dawg fans, don’t let the stupidity of a few bother you. Focus on your family…then when it is time come back and get us through the rest of this schedule. Mark Richt….that is another story…

gdawginkalamazoo

October 8th, 2012
11:59 am

I’ve never been on the football field for a 35-7 loss to SC but I have been told my dad had cancer and there is nothing worse than that. Prayers out to your dad and your family. Fight the good fight.

Iloveuga

October 8th, 2012
12:00 pm

Astrouga-NOTHING is kept from the media in today’s society – hello?????
Point-all of the stupid comments in this blog.

islander

October 8th, 2012
12:00 pm

prayers are with your father from this gator. get well soon papa murray.

dawgbone

October 8th, 2012
12:00 pm

All I am saying, besides I am sick is that we have more than enough talent on the field….something is lacking somewhere….

BulldawgNation

October 8th, 2012
12:05 pm

Hang in there Aaron. And get ready for the Kitty cats.

susiedawg

October 8th, 2012
12:05 pm

Will be praying for Aaron and his family, especially his Dad! By the way, would some of you folks just PLEASE grow up!

Banned Poster

October 8th, 2012
12:05 pm

Wish Papa Murray and the whole Murray family the best and a full and speedy recovery. As for the egging of the house, some people need to let go and learn that it’s just a game. Sure I was down and mad about it, but I got over it the next morning. South Carolina was the better team and they whipped the Dawgs, no sugar coating it. However, that is no excuse to be an idiot.

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Texas Dawg

October 8th, 2012
12:06 pm

OK, it should go without saying that there are more important things in life than winning or losing a football game, or any game for that matter. Of course folks can feel sorry for Aaron Murray and his family and wish them nothing but the best. I and many, many UGA fans feel that way. But feeling sorry for him still doesn’t erase the fact that neither he nor his teammates played well Saturday night, nor does it mean that CMR and the rest of the coaches should get a pass for their ineptitude. Life is life and the Murray family will have to deal with that and we pray that they will. But the game is the game and McGarity will have to deal with that, and again, we pray that he will! We shouldn’t confuse the two issues.

WTF

October 8th, 2012
12:07 pm

susiedawg You said it best. This article is not about Football.

dawg52

October 8th, 2012
12:07 pm

Aaron, our prayers are with you, and your family. May papa Murray receive the best treatment and a full recovery. As far as Saturday night goes…..what can you say? We got out coached, played, scored…..you name it. Hell, it happens. To the sh@ts who egged and rolled Robinson’s and Murray’s rental home……cant print here….to the true fans who helped clean it up….a permanent “dawg bone” for you (y’all). Lets not lose what little class we have here folks. We’re all disappointed, no doubt, but come on people……nuff said..

USMC

October 8th, 2012
12:19 pm

I know we ALL hope that Aaron’s father will be okay and beat the diagnosis.
HOWEVER, Coach Mark Richt should have taken this into account and played HUTSON MASON in the SC game.(UGA was DOMINATED by SC. It was embarrassing!)

Aaron, we hope for a speedy recovery for Papa Murray. Godspeed.

Eric

October 8th, 2012
12:21 pm

Godspeed. Murrays = DGD

Dynomite

October 8th, 2012
12:22 pm

I ore my Georgia gear with pride Sunday morning. I’m a Dawg through thick and thin. God bless the Murray family, the battle they are now facing pales in comparison to a football game.

roughrider

October 8th, 2012
12:22 pm

Let’s ask the Board of Regents to hire some consultants to come to our state and teach UGA, Tech how to play winning football.

Narnie2Six

October 8th, 2012
12:23 pm

hirejongruden Fair Weather Fan! Get a life!

Rob

October 8th, 2012
12:27 pm

The only t hing that can be said about some of the comments on this post is thank goodness that Aaron Murray has a lot more on his mind today than to read this nonsense.

old dog

October 8th, 2012
12:30 pm

You win….you lose. That is part of it. But, until we address the line issues, we will not make it to the top of the SEC. We have good backs, a good QB, etc. But our LINE (yeah, I said it) got torn up Saturday night. No coach in the country takes this o-line and beats the better teams with it…not one! And, sadly, before the season started everybody knew it. Just a little false hope after we beat up on some weak-sisters. S.C. whooped us so bad up front that it would take Shakespeare 6 quill-pens, a 1/2 barrell of ink and three weeks to write about it. Until we learn how to bring in a top-notch line (see Alabama and others) it will continue. It is bad enough Murray has all the issues to deal with; his Dad will recover…..I feel sure! This line, however, will not recover and Murray has been toting an unfair part of the blame for losing big games. The reason we lose big games is: THE TEAMS WITH THE HOSSES UP FRONT SMASH US!
Good luck to your Dad……..speak that he will be cured; he will!

Under The Bleachers

October 8th, 2012
12:31 pm

So Aaron Murray and C. Robinson’s house got “egged and rolled’ after the game saturday night!

Classless! If someone was going to get their house “egged or rolled” it should have started with Richt, Bobo, Grantham. But I do not believe in destroying properties to begin with.

The UGA Fan base is showing some true colors.

Dawg Haus

October 8th, 2012
12:31 pm

What Aaron is going through really puts the game on Saturday in perspective. Football is exactly that: a game. Let us all pray for the Murray family as Denny goes into surgery. And to the idiot who rolled the house on Saturday, please find a new team.

Boozerali

October 8th, 2012
12:32 pm

I agree with Hire. What’s our record vs ranked opponents who finish ranked during the season? It’s time for Richt to go. And to those who say “We shouldn’t criticize because we’re not there” does that mean we shouldn’t criticize a chef’s cooking because we don’t cook? I mean really. Richt is the laughing stock of the SEC, Miles, Chiznik, and Saban All have National Championships since we even won a conference title.

Dawg Haus

October 8th, 2012
12:32 pm

Also, to the fans of other teams calling us all classless, please don’t judge a village by its idiots. I saw some pretty disgusting signs at Gameday on Saturday but know that there are intelligent and kind people who graduated from South Carolina.

Jesus

October 8th, 2012
12:34 pm

That intro to whining class at UGA is very effective.

Under The Bleachers

October 8th, 2012
12:37 pm

Dawg Haus….yeah saw some pretty bad signs on Gameday…..one in particular was

Lady Part(v), Lady Part(v), Lady Part(v), Man Part( P)……It lasted only a segment or two before it was apparently yanked….

Every school has classless fan, every school has idiots, and 90% of them never attended the school they are embarrassing.

azdawg

October 8th, 2012
12:37 pm

dawggirl

October 8th, 2012
10:47 am

good comment.

[...] I read that fans of the Bulldogs TP’ed and EGGED Aaron Murray’s house after the loss to SC Saturday. It was widely known that the same day as [...]