QB Aaron Murray explains his decision to remain at Georgia
ATHENS – Aaron Murray said he knew he wanted to return to Georgia for his senior season “as soon as the clock hit zero” in the SEC Championship game. The rest of the time he spent validating in his head what was already in his heart.
Murray announced via Twitter this past Sunday night that he was indeed going to complete his eligibility with the Bulldogs. On Tuesday he met with reporters at UGA’s Butts-Mehre football complex to explain his decision.
Aaron Murray hoist the MVP trophy after his four-touchdown passing performance in the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
“I pretty much knew all along deep down inside that I wanted to come back,” Murray said. Obviously I didn’t want to base my decision on emotion. I wanted that SEC game to go by a little bit before I made my decision. After that game, I was like, ‘I’m coming back, I’m coming back.’ So I really needed to let that game go, play another game, clear my head and write down the pros and cons of everything.”
Murray, the first quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards in three consecutive seasons, is on track to break SEC records for passing yards, touchdowns and completions. But he said that had little to do with his decision.
The opportunity to return to Georgia and win an SEC championship next season was the strongest incentive.
“I’m excited about our team next year,” he said. “We’ve grown so much over these past two seasons and really put Georgia back on the map. It’s great to be part of that and hopefully we’ll continue to get better. . . . I love Georgia, I love being part of this university, I love being part of this team. I’m just excited to have another year.”
The Bulldogs return 10 starters on offense next season, including the entire offensive line. They will be rebuilding on defense, however.
Murray said previously he received a “second- or third-round grade” from the NFL’s draft advisory board. He said he discussed his situation with former NFL coach Tony Dungy, former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, former UGA quarterbacks David Greene and D.J. Shockley, among others.
“I liked what my grade was,” Murray said. “But obviously I feel like I’ve still got a lot of improvement to make as a quarterback. I’ve got some areas that I need to continue to develop. I’ve talked to Coach (Mike) Bobo and Coach (Mark) Richt about it, too, and they’re really excited about me coming back and continuing to improve. . . . By the end of the year, I will be as complete a quarterback as I can be heading into the NFL.”
Of course, not everybody is thrilled with Murray’s decision. Junior Hutson Mason, Murray’s backup before redshirting this past season, was quoted in the Marietta Daily Journal as saying he was “frustrated” about having to sit behind Murray another year. Reached by the AJC Tuesday, Mason was decidedly more diplomatic.
“It hasn’t worked out the way I planned,” he said, “but I’m not giving up on my dreams.”
Asked if he was definitely going to be back at Georgia next season, Mason said, “That’s the plan as of right now.”
Meanwhile, Murray spoke of several areas in which he’d like to improve as a senior. Most notably, becoming more of a dual-threat quarterback.
“I think when I got here I tried to stress so much about being a pocket passer, staying in the pocket and making my reads and my progressions,” Murray said. “There’s nothing wrong with that; I still have to work on that and trust my line. I just need to work more on when things do break down or maybe see ahead of time plays I can take off on and get out of the pocket and get as many yards as I can get. Work on my speed a little more. I feel like at my age I’ve gotten a little slower. I’ve got to work on that more and just try to create plays when they aren’t there.”
Asked specifically what he could do to improve his NFL stock, Murray joked, “Hopefully somehow I can grow another two inches, that’d be great. I think we’re incorporating some yoga this offseason, so some stretching may help out a little bit.”
Murray is listed at 6-foot-1 and swears it’s legitimate.
Turning serious, he added: “I’m not worried about where I get drafted next season. I think you can play a dangerous game if you think about that. My No. 1 goal right now is to continue to get better as a quarterback and do whatever I can to make sure this team gets some championships, gets some rings next year.”
Murray’s desire to win a championship at Georgia was driven home as he watched Alabama throttle Notre Dame 42-14 Monday night to claim its third national championship in four years. The Bulldogs lost to Alabama 32-28 after time expired with Georgia on the 5-yard line.
“Oh, it was painful to watch. It was,” Murray said. “I’m happy the SEC won, of course. It definitely showed the nation how good we were, to play Alabama the way we did and were four or five yards away from being in that game. It helped us showed that Georgia is back.”
And now Murray is, too.
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341 comments Add your comment
Game Changer
January 9th, 2013
7:32 am
A Murray is to easy to defense:
Look at the 2013 games against the only ranked teams of Florida, South Carolina and Alabama. Add up the total points our Uga offensive can be given credit for: REST MY CASE — A MURRAY SUCKS Total 58 — big question I will answer this evening — did defense actually score more of these 58 points than the defense????????
Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
7:35 am
Urban showed how dumb he really is picking ND to beat Bama but we love him and know he will cheat his way to put us on top!
Goldenrod
January 9th, 2013
7:37 am
CoachJohnson and I had a good time in the hot tub talking about how Tech would beat Georgia next year!
Columbus Dawg
January 9th, 2013
7:42 am
Alright Coach Todd Grantham, highest paid asst. coach in program history, you pissed and moaned about getting help from Bobo last year, now it is all on you. You have not stopped ANYONE’S up-the- gut run game, including Buffalo, Kentucky, ect. The defense fell considerably short of hype and expectations. Now you must do more with less. (Actually, you may have MORE, considering the stupidity of several of your starters breaking rules). Everyone will be focused on YOUR side of the ball in 2013 looking for much needed improvement, just as they were looking at Bobo’s side last year. I do not care what any of you idiot Bobo bashers say, at this point he has shown great improvement since taking over in 2006, and has passed the test. Now it’s YOUR turn Grantham, you have been an NFL coach, you have tons more worldly experience than Bobo, and it is time for it to show up. Bobo had to pull off record setting offensive play with a green OL. An OL that was under the gun for the entire 2012 preseason and beyond, by media pundits as being Georgia’s weak link. Bobo has committed his entire adult life to UGA football. He is a DGD of the highest level in my book. All of his real experience has come as a coach at UGA. He has not had the opportunity to gain a wealth of experience from the NFL, or even other major college programs. He got it all in Athens, and in my opinion, he has become a top notch OC. Coach Grantham, your job now is to produce a run stopping defense while maintaining the level of play on pass defense. Bottom line is Bobo produced a championship caliber offense with what he had to begin 2012, now it is your turn. You are either worth the money, or your not.
NFL player or Veyerinarian or lawyer?
January 9th, 2013
7:45 am
Murray plays football for the University of Georgia. What he does after college, I could frankly, care less. If he becomes a MD or Inurance exec or Lawyer OR NFL QB. I could care less. My sports team is the U of G, not the Falcons or the Chiefs or the Packers or Vikes.
Murray will make UGA a better squad next year as their QB. End of story, clowns!!
Here are the facts
January 9th, 2013
7:53 am
TO list schools like Stanford or Notre Dame or Wisconin or Michigan in the top 10 beyond #7 or 8 or # 9 is folly. List the top chhols on the SEC 1-7, then throw in these schools. You can count Oklahoma as only a top 12-15 school, but only around # 12 or 13.
This is the new law of the land. SEC RULES.
Ohio State? CHeats,thugs and liars.
Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
7:54 am
te29wr
You are the 7:35 Buckeye IMPOSTOR, aren’t you?
Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
7:55 am
Murray be will 1-3 in September Murray
Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
7:56 am
Name YOUR team, Mr. here are the facts.
Probably Auburn or Tennessee.
Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
7:58 am
THIS JUST IN:
dog spotted a the 3rd different Waffle House this morning.
Video to follow.
Ge Tech Fan
January 9th, 2013
8:02 am
You can put this Tech fan down as an Arron Murray fan!! He is both a scholar and an athlete, as well as a true gentleman. Good luck next season Mr Murray!
jc_dawgs
January 9th, 2013
8:05 am
Ga needs to focus on the D Line. It looked as though strength and conditioning was a problem. I think they should junk the 3-4 and go back to the 4-3. Could not stop the run all year long. The lineman did not do a good job at shedding blocks and getting to the ball carrier. Hate to say it….but if you looked at the defensive lineman for Ga and compared the players to other defensive lineman… Ga’s looked out of shape. Its a shame because Big John Jenkins is an absolute load of talent….I think the coaching and strengthening could have been better. I’d think about getting a new D line coach or at least change some things up. D line was way to weak and porous.
DawgByte
January 9th, 2013
8:11 am
This Georgia offense is going to fun to watch next year. I’d hate to be a DC in the SEC, trying to figure out a way to stop all our weapons. I’m happy to hear Murray wants to run more… that will make him more effective. He’s got good running capabilities… all signs are positive.
GooooooooooooDawgs!
Army Strong
January 9th, 2013
8:23 am
Hutson needs to see more than just garbage time. Aaron will break all the records even if he has one of the worst seasons of any of the D-1 QB’s. Start Mason vs. North Texas, see how he does, then make the decision whether or not to start him against App. State during week 11.
Bucstats.com » Blog Archive » Mid-Round Draftable Quarterbacks
January 9th, 2013
8:24 am
[...] are tall. Still, he has good SEC experience and has had success. [Update: turns out Murray is staying at Georgia for his senior year.] Price is a tough kid who sometimes overthrows his receivers by a good mile [...]
gt4ever
January 9th, 2013
8:25 am
Mr. Murray is a class act, something this team has needed for a long time… But to say UGA football is back,is well, absurd. UGA football the best team on paper… Once again the Number 1 team in the country. The number 1 team in the country before they have to play someone good…
Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
8:38 am
THIS JUST IN:
dog spotted at Chik Fil A.
Video to follow.
GT
January 9th, 2013
8:47 am
He ain’t that good, too short and not that mobile. His best feature is his brains. He has the best two running backs outside of Alabama in the country playing in his backfield which keeps the defenses honest.
He plays his first real football schedule next year in the SEC. Johnnie Football is about the same physically and will be the first taken as a six foot quarterback. A.J. McCarron is the best quarterback in the SEC as of Monday night and may win the Heisman next year. No matter how bad this draft is this year he will go lower in two years.
Matt the Brave
January 9th, 2013
8:50 am
You know what the difference is between UGA and GT? One can say that they almost played in the national championship, while the other can say they beat the team ranked #1 before the season. Now which would you rather root for?
HutsonMasonAdvisor
January 9th, 2013
8:53 am
Leave Hutson Mason.
Youre getting screwed. Dont believe the promises and lies any longer.
gahillbilly
January 9th, 2013
9:03 am
All you haters, naysayers and trolls make me feel like Lloyd Dobler’s friend in Say Anything. “Man, you’re bringing me down!”
Kyle
January 9th, 2013
9:04 am
This just in……Buckeye spotted at Tatoo Parlor…….with Urban
NFL Draft Advisory Committee
January 9th, 2013
9:05 am
Alright, I think I figured out who Murray is.
Name another QB that had a great college career, amassed 3,500, 3,500, 3,845 and 3,800 yards passing in his four years. Which is higher than Murrays 3,000, 3,100 and 3,800. This guy had tremendous efficiency, 157, 162, 183 and 175 in four years. Compare it to Murray, 154, 146 and 174. This guy threw lots of TDs, 25, 39, 36, 43 as does Murray 24, 35, 36.
BTW did you know Murray is ranked 80th in completions per game? The prospects expected to go high in the NFL draft are ranked in the top 20. Anyways, I digress.
The other thing about this QB I’m comparing to Murray, he doesn’t run. He just sits back and passes.
Like Murray, he is short. 6′0″ tall.
So who was this prolific, efficient, short, non running QB? Well, he’s a QB that came into the Georgia Dome and destroyed Georgia’s supposedly greatest defense in the world. His name is Kellen Moore. He led a team that is consistently in the bottom half of the recruiting numbers to a easy victory over a team that brags about consistently being in the top 5.
So he was really nearly identical to Murray except that he was a better leader on the field.
Now what happened to Kellen Moore? He entered the 2012 DRAFT and was not drafted. He was picked up by Detroit as a free agent.
Do you think the NFL didn’t mention this to Murray when Murray said he could be the next Drew Brees. They probably laughed, said at best you could hope for 2nd or 3rd round if you have a phenomenal showing in the combine but otherwise don’t expect to be drafted and wait for a team to pick you up as a free agent.
And he decided to return to try and become a better QB so he’s drafted. Not just drafted #1, that’s not going to happen. He just wants to be drafted. Problem is he is returning to a hard schedule with the first 4 games featuring three highly ranked teams who love to run the ball and he has no defense, and even if he did, his defense was ranked 77th against the run. UGA will be worse this year, probably as bad as 2010, but he has no choice.
He’s trying to make it to the NFL.
Carry on.
Kyle
January 9th, 2013
9:06 am
Silly GT jackette……..we would beat Tech without a QB……11-1……
Tatoo Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
9:07 am
When does probation end??????? LMAO! 12-0 Really? Sorry, what bowl did you go to?
Shep
January 9th, 2013
9:09 am
Wonder what Murray’s stats wud be if you did not count the first quarter of every game. He is so pumped that he cannot seem to function.
GT
January 9th, 2013
9:17 am
South Carolina is a better football team than Georgia, has been for three years, better coach. They got to the championship game once because they had to play a tougher schedule all three years. Georgia took Alabama off their schedule and replaced it with Missouri; Alabama took Georgia off its schedule and replaced it with Texas A&M. Georgia plays a close game against Alabama who then goes and plays a team in the national championship that probably shouldn’t be in the top five in the country and that particular night shouldn’t have been in the top 10.
James at Amelia Island , Florida
January 9th, 2013
9:21 am
Murray is a guy who will work hard to improve himself and the team. Proud to have him at UGA. Hard work in the off season is what makes teams ready in September. Hope we get the same attitude from our defense to start now working hard in the weight room. We will have a really good offense with the line gaining from a year of playing together.
Go Dawgs !
AltamahaDawg
January 9th, 2013
9:26 am
If Mason was better than Murray. Mason would be starting. Obviously. There is no need to wonder about this, or make up rationale. It’s really no more complicated than that. I wish Mason WAS better than Murray, because that would make him IMO the best QB we have ever had in our history.
I’d look for Mason to get plenty of PT this year. He got a lot more in 2011 than folks seem to remember, and I am sure he is much improved and more deserving now, than then.
BUT, that will greatly depend on the comfort level they have with our rebuilt defense to hold comfortable leads.
funny...
January 9th, 2013
9:32 am
Do Georgia Tech fans need a waiver to post on a Georgia blog?
AltamahaDawg
January 9th, 2013
9:36 am
GT,
SC lost to Auburn 2 years ago. Wasn’t thebrutal schedule that cost them. It was the letdown agaisnt a lessor team. We, as you recall, demolished Auburn.
And what KEPTthem from the SECCG and SEND Georgia this year, was a common opponents within the division. UF.
Aside from taking exeption with the term “took off” as if that was our (or Alabama) decision, I have no idea what you were getting at there, nor the rambling about Alabama playing ND.
What was your point in any of that?
gary
January 9th, 2013
9:42 am
Hi Buckeye, You do realize your season was a mirror image of ND except they played a little bit harde schedule than you. Beating up on the Big Ten apparently is pretty easy. Sort of like being a bully in the fifth grade if you are the only kid who had a growth spirt over the summer. Walk into another class room and you will get pounded. It really amuses me how much trash you talk on this blog. Your worthless team has NEVER beaten Georgia. Gets its a$$ handed to it everytime it plays an SEC school. Your wimpy team walked away from home and home games with the Dawgs. We were really looking forward to extracting some serious revenge on Urban in the Big Ten. He can’t hide behind Tebow anymore. Even if you manage to carry your weak schedule undefeated again you will have to play a 1 loss SEC team no matter what in the NC game next year after what ND did. You also have to hope Oregon looses and the Big 12 don’t have an undefeated team. You play in the fourth best conference just ahead of the ACC. Everybody knows it. No one respencts it. The SEC will continue to crush it. You went 2 and 5 in Bowl games. Northwestern was your shining moment. What color in the sky in your world?
Marlene King Richards class of 1959
January 9th, 2013
9:47 am
Don’t rush thru life but enjoy every moment. Happy you’re staying.
Valyboy32
January 9th, 2013
9:51 am
Im glad to hear he’s staying sorry Hutson lol i rather you go so we can get D Watson. Really i want Murray to go out on top every year so far he’s taken vicous hits and everytime the officals didnt throw a flag or the league didnt suspend players Aub,uf,&bama. I hope Gratham show us why he makes $700,000 and get us a hungry D!
FRED
January 9th, 2013
10:07 am
I do not see this kid in the NFL he turns the ball over to much!
AltamahaDawg
January 9th, 2013
10:32 am
Because the NFL doesn’t put up with a 3.6:1 td/int ratio?
RxDawg
January 9th, 2013
10:43 am
I like Hutson, and I like that he stuck it out. But I’m really hoping that his quotes were taken out of context. Yeh I know you want to play, but you should want your team to win more. If you want to play, be better then the guy in front of you. Don’t whine about it. AM returning means that UGA has a better chance at winning football games next year. That’s good any way you slice it.
Rampdawg
January 9th, 2013
10:44 am
Does he really want to come back and lose to Bama again? I doubt they get any more gift 10 pt swings on blocked field goals turned into tds to turn a statistical blowout into a seemingly close game. If we meet them again in 2013 it will be a beatdown on the scoreboard that more closely resembles the beatdown that took place on the field in 2012.———————————————————————————————————————————————-
Just like the gift calls for Bama. McCarron gets hit by Ogletree and jumps up and crys like a baby to the Refs. gets call. Murry gets blatant HTH contact takes it like a man, yet the ref, who is 3 yds. away claims he didn’t see it.
As for the 10 point swing. Wasn’t it the mighty Tide O Line blocking on that blocked FG? Why yes, yes it was. Wasn’t it our weak underclass O Line that allowed the most yds rushing by any back on Bama this year? Why yes, yes it was.
Statistical beat down? Didn’t the mighty Tide defense give up 400 yds. and 28 points against the poor UGA Offense
Statistical beat down? Rushing yes, passing no.
Our entire line will be back. Bamas, not as many.
This is not a response to Bama. fans, many who are my friends and whom I respect. They realize what a damn tough, close game it was.
This is a response to a little jealous GT flag boy nerd, who lives vicariously through other teams good fortune.
Clowney is King
January 9th, 2013
10:51 am
A Murray is already a record setter at UGA- 0-3 versus SC is worst ever by a UGA QB. Staying one more year to put that record where it will never be broken at 0-4 versus South Carolina. And Jadaveon says, “Yea, thank you very much”!
Rampdawg
January 9th, 2013
10:52 am
UGA=DUMB+GT ENVY= WHINY LITTLE FLAG BOY
RedandBlackDAWG
January 9th, 2013
10:55 am
This just in. Buckeye player spotted at the tattoo parlor, driving his Lexus getting another tattoo, of Jim the man, and a smaller one of the AD and President of the university. Urban ain’t earned his stripe yet, was the word on the street. Buckeye, to get a corn cob tattoo on his chest next.
Rampdawg
January 9th, 2013
10:55 am
:correction
UGA=DUMB+LITTLE BROTHER SYNDROME= WHINY LITTLE FLAG BOY
Tide/Dawg
January 9th, 2013
11:01 am
Consensus: Urban Meyer is a jerk!! Not a news flash down here in the South. Saw analysis panel on ESPN. One guy said he still doesn’t think Ala. is the best team. Wellllll….they promoted ND into the championship game proclaiming them the champion before they played the game. ND’s butt will be sore until July from getting knocked on it by the O-Line of Ala. These self anoited experts think they can turn ND into a champion with their mouth. They want them back in the limelight so bad. ND has not been significant in 25 years. Paul Crane on CSS said ND hand picks their schedule and shouldn’t be considered in the national rankings. 10 of the 12 teams ND played lost 5 games. If that ND team played in the SEC they would have lost 5 games. They play Army and Navy every year that’s like G Tech playing Middle Tenn. State(No wait..better not count that one). ND has signed a contract with the ACC in all sports except football. However they agreed to play 5 ACC teams each year. Let’s see…that’s 2 wins over Army and Navy every year, and 5 wins over ACC handpicked teams. That’s 7 wins practically guaranteed before they ever hit the field. Throw in 5 more hand picked teams(and no conference championship game to worry about) and they are 12-0 again with all of the media screaming they are No. 1. They were as much of an embarrassment as Northern Ill. playing FSU in a BCS game. Now you know how close Ga. came to being the National Champion. After the way McCarron picked their secondary apart and Murray & Ga.’s running game, the result for ND would have been the same. As a matter of fact, there were at least 5 teams in the SEC that would have beaten ND. I don’t like ND but I felt sorry for Te’o and their defense. You could see the dispair and frustration in their eyes in the first half. You shouldn’t have one team in a championship game so overmatched and the other that has to call off the dogs to prevent further humiliation of their opponent.
The analysts talk about Oregon with all of that speed and high scoring. What Oregon would find out in the SEC is that speed doesn’t do much good if you can’t get past the line of scrimmage. Stanford would have been a better representative.
Rampdawg
January 9th, 2013
11:02 am
UGA = DUMB
January 9th, 2013
10:49 am
This is a response to a little jealous GT flag boy nerd, who lives vicariously through other teams good fortune.
++++++++++++++++++
and you don’t rampdawg? probably reading this wearing your uga jersey…
——————————————————————————————————————————————–
Nope sure don’t. I am a UGA fan..
Rampdawg
January 9th, 2013
11:08 am
and by the way, I’m wearing a grey shirt.
Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
11:09 am
gary,
Thanks for your words. All of them.
Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
11:09 am
redandblack
Perhaps “Panty Man” Evans can drive the Lexus next time?
mgdawg
January 9th, 2013
11:09 am
I said the whole season he needed to run more. While I believe all qb’s should be pass first, if they can run they should. I remember in the bowl game murray threw a pass away when he was scrambling to the sideline and could’ve easily picked up 5 yards and stepped out instead. Those are the kind of runs he needs to be making, smart/safe runs.
As for mason, I feel bad for the guy but there is always that possibility. When murray leaves mason has to be much better then the other backups. If the other guys are on the same level as him, or if he is only slightly better, it would be to UGA’s benefit to start a younger guy and let him start getting his playing time. DJ was an exception to the rule, JoeT and Joe Cox are the norm.
Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
11:10 am
kyle
hahahaha
Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
11:11 am
gary,
We’re #3.
You’re T5.
You gave up 350 on the ground.
Ya ain’t that good.