Notebook: Tight end Jay Rome uncertain about basketball future
ATHENS — With the Georgia basketball team is clearly in neeed of some help, Jay Rome hasn’t decided yet whether he can offer any.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound tight end joined the basketball team as a forward and played in seven games last year. He remains undecided about this year.
“Both coaches are still going to allow me to do it if I choose to but I’m not really sure myself if I want to go through with it again this year,” Rome said on Tuesday. “I haven’t made a decision yet. It’s something me and my dad are going to talk about, something I’m going to pray about and talk to Coach Richt and Coach Fox about.”
After redshirting in football last season, Rome played in all 13 games this season with one start. He caught 11 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, including a 19-yarder against Alabama in the SEC Championship game. In basketball, Rome averaged 0.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 2.4 minutes.
Rome, an all-state basketball player at Valdosta High, has always been outspoken about that game being his first love. But as his talent emerges in football, he knows it’s just a matter of time before he has to give it up.
“No doubt that I’ll miss it,” Rome said. “Basketball has always been my favorite sport. But sometimes when you get older you have to make decisions that are going to be the best for you and I have no doubt that football is going to be the best for me.”
Etc. . . .
Georgia’s injury list suddenly got longer. Among the players listed on Tuesday’s report were receiver Malcolm Mitchell (groin), receiver Tavarres King (hamstring), linebacker Mike Gilliard (hamstring), , noseguard John Jenkins (concussion), receiver Rhett McGowan (wrist sprain), safety Marc Deas (knee) and fullback Richard Samuel (shoulder). . . . After two days of heavy rains, the Bulldogs practiced for two hours under clear skies Tuesday. “We had a high energy level today and we should have because we haven’t had a real practice in two days so there’s no excuse not have a good one.”
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
41 comments Add your comment
1
December 18th, 2012
7:20 pm
1
BB
December 18th, 2012
7:22 pm
BB team needs help
1
December 18th, 2012
7:23 pm
You got that right more help than Rome can supply
BigDawg
December 18th, 2012
8:15 pm
Concentrate on football and be a star! I think it hurt Fred Gibson trying to do both!!
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 18th, 2012
9:02 pm
Tony Gonzales ring any bells you Moe Ron? You could learn better footwork and POSTING UP on Defenders in both Football and Basketball.
Joe
December 18th, 2012
9:24 pm
I hope young Mr. Rome does what he believes is right for himself. UGA would benefit by his participation in basketball but the university will be fine either way. I would love to see him also play basketball but if he chooses not to: no harm, no foul. Mostly, I hope he graduates from UGA.
Notebook: Tight end Jay Rome uncertain about basketball future – Georgia – Dawg News
December 18th, 2012
9:33 pm
[...] the original post here: Notebook: Tight end Jay Rome uncertain about basketball future ← Back to Home Tags: alabama, athens, basketball, coach, football, georgia, jay, [...]
low rider
December 18th, 2012
9:53 pm
Both of these sports are a physical and mental grind. Don’t see how someone could play both without reducing their full ability at each sport. Maybe football and a spring sport would work. A tight end would make a great doubles partner in tennis!
Chipper
December 18th, 2012
10:40 pm
This game is a rock and a hard spot for Georgia. It’s not really pretty either way, unless Louisville upsets the Gators, the Tide blows out ND and Kansas State loses. Bang. Georgia is no. 3. Oregon. You had to ask?
dawglova
December 18th, 2012
10:52 pm
Another brilliant comment by put in timeout! I hold my breath all day waiting for his invaluable insight and he never disappoints. Yeah Jay why can’t you be Tony Gonzalez. There are so many of those types of athletes in the world. Why wouldnt you want to risk your future by getting injured to play nine minute per game of meaningless b-ball on a 8 or 9 win team. What a moron you must be.
dawglova
December 18th, 2012
10:57 pm
Or maybe you could concentrate on school work, getting bigger/stronger and work on route running during the off season and not have to bang bodies in the paint and risk delaying your promising future in the sport that’s gonna feed your family.
RED DOG 77
December 18th, 2012
11:35 pm
This one looks to me like one for JR and his dad to decide on…………These stories this time of the year make my butt burn………….GO DOGS………….RED
Chanterelle "Mushroom Head" Jenkins
December 19th, 2012
6:27 am
What ya’ll whit folks on dem competers talking bout me playing football i told that white man i aint be gotten no weapon or that sticky icky.
Vampire Bill
December 19th, 2012
7:40 am
Save the wear and tear on your body. Football is your meal ticket. GO DAWGS
Rooney
December 19th, 2012
8:39 am
Now that Jay Rome is starting to contribute, when will Ray Drew finally break through?
mrcvsjr
December 19th, 2012
8:48 am
@From Friday night lights to the drive-through at Burger Hut: In my Lee Corso voice “not so fast my friend”, That was a very ignorant and idiotic comment you posted. If you know anything about the Rome family, you would know that his father was a legendary player for Valdosta H.S., and set the state record for receptions in a year. Afterwards was an All-American for Clemson, and went on to have a solid NFL career. Because you’re one of the servers who comes outside to my vehicle at Sonic, doesn’t mean everyone will be like you.
dawgman
December 19th, 2012
8:50 am
From Friday night- You’re the manager at Burger Hut, Ike. My fries are burning and you’re smoke breaks over, jack.You picking on Richt is like a fart in a whirlwind. No one’s ever gonna feel it.
DawginLex
December 19th, 2012
9:17 am
Friday night appears to know a lot about burger joints
I bet he flips burgers and dips fries in greae all day long
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 19th, 2012
9:23 am
You pay $825,000/year to give up 350 rushing yards.
32 years…
Joey
December 19th, 2012
9:34 am
Real Bama fans don’t come on here insulting UGA – bet you are a techie.
If not, you missed your calling, jackass . . .
DoddSquad
December 19th, 2012
9:38 am
75% of former NFL players are bankrupt, so a degree is the best meal ticket!
But then again, it is a uga degree…yikes.
Blue Ridge Dawg
December 19th, 2012
9:42 am
@ Friday Night Light – And how many former UGA players are currently in the NFL making $$$??
Chip- Delete this Moron!!
My UGa degree
December 19th, 2012
9:47 am
….. Allowed me to retire from corporate America at age 57. I was NOT a government employee, either.
UGA diploma worth? Lots of $$ opportunities it provided me with a career in international business, centered on Madison Ave. In NYC..
Class of 71 & 73
DawginLex
December 19th, 2012
10:19 am
Let the kid play basketball if he wants to.
smlarsen
December 19th, 2012
1:24 pm
Why in the hell is Richt playing these players hard enough to where John Jenkins can wind up with a concusion? That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. He had been doing this for the past few seasons practicing so hard that they could barely take the field then he was doing a lot better this year with it. But now, here we go again. Newsflash Richt GA is a much better team than nebraska if OUR STARTERS ARE HEALTHY. Stop killing them in practice. They should be running no more than 80% right now.
ghost
December 19th, 2012
1:38 pm
smlarsen, If you knew anything about UGa football you would know Jenkins concussion happened in the bama game , he didn’t participate in the 1st bowl practice. here we go again coaches getting criticized by people that know zero about the program.
GeoffDawg
December 19th, 2012
1:48 pm
DoddSquad, your real world experience is probably 90% through your avatar.
smlarsen
December 19th, 2012
2:18 pm
OK Ghost. I believe that Richt is a great coach. I was not aware of when the concussion took place so i appologize about that. However if that is the only one that happend in that game then I still support my statement. I do know about the program. I have been following it for 20 + years. So you can say what you want but practicing players hard enough to where they get injured is not the way to go. This game (in reality) means a whole lot of nothing. The only place we have to go from this game is down. Winning it does nothing. Losing it drops us in the ranks. Risking returning players health in practice is not needed nore desired.
Real Dawg Fan
December 19th, 2012
2:19 pm
Thank you Ghost for calling out the idiot, there are too many fools who call themselves fans and don’t even watch the game. It happens every weekend, some guy is too busy trying to get drunk and get a girl, then they try to tell you what happened in the game that YOU actually watched. Well that just the way people are now.
CMR is the BEST we’ve ever had, and I appreciate al he’s done.
Real Dawg Fan
December 19th, 2012
2:25 pm
@smlarsen
If you have been a fan for 20+ years then you should remember very well how Mediocre we were before CMR got here. We were stuck in 3rd place in East and 8-10 wins every year with same or more talent than we have now. Everyone talks about ‘the next level’, well there are far more ‘next levels’ below us than there is above us. I for one love the Direction the program is on.
smlarsen
December 19th, 2012
2:32 pm
I am not saying he is a bad coach you morons “I believe that Richt is a great coach”. Guess you “idiots” missed that. I think richt is the best coach UGA has ever had and would compete for best coach in the SEC with Miles and Saban. I simply made the point that there is no need to practice players hard enough to where they get injured. Take the point not the technicalities, and fyi I watched every snap of every game UGA played this season and the last and the last. Well you get the picture.
ghost
December 19th, 2012
3:21 pm
smlarsen, If you don’t do some hitting in practice , then there will be poor blocking and poor tackling will result.
DawginLex
December 19th, 2012
3:41 pm
Jenkins concussion carried over from SECCG
He has not practiced since
UGA = DUMB
December 19th, 2012
6:10 pm
biggest difference between CMR and CLM/CNS…CMR would have been fired by now at either LSU/Bama…
JRW7
December 19th, 2012
7:17 pm
Is it just me, but do the DAWGS always seem to have more injuries than most other teams?
Douglas
December 19th, 2012
9:43 pm
UGA = DUMB Shouldn’t that be UGA A__HOLE
Shadow of T Brown and Put In
December 19th, 2012
11:45 pm
Enter your comments here
zbulldawg
December 20th, 2012
10:01 am
Don’t think to long Because there is an out standing freshmen coming in who will gladly take your spot. The future is now !!!! Look at Tony G for the falcons & Graham for the Saints. Thew basket ball team is in rebuilding mode. You shouldn’t take any playing away from the players who have been there in the off season. The same way with the football team. So quest what it’s not all about YOU !!!
Upstate Dawg
December 21st, 2012
6:55 pm
Hopefully, he will decide to continue with basketball. Our inside game continues to be lousy. Memories of Larry Brown come into my mind when Rome rumbles on the basketball court. All of the running for basketball would be good to keep him in shape for football again. Either way, Go Dawgs!
Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)
December 22nd, 2012
1:00 pm
@ Real Dawgfan:
Your a correct sir but there is a way to “Git er Done” and watch the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ever heard of Dawgie Style!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
phillip
December 25th, 2012
10:09 pm
Hard to believe that in the midst of his fourth year at Georgia that Coach Fox has to derive hoped for help from a football player. Coach Fox ought to be recruiting like a maniac in talent rich Georgia.