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
Laughing out Loud
January 9th, 2013
2:39 pm
Welcome aboard for next year, Aaron Murray! Anticipating a great season! Anticipating great effort in persuing SEC and National Championships. Thanks for being “a cut above” the average and coming back for your Senior year. I think your decision reveals intelligent, thoughtful decision making and it shows where your heart is also. It’s all good for Georgia Bulldawgs! Go Dawgs!
WDE
January 9th, 2013
2:39 pm
Reality Check for WDE let review our defense has been declared dead all year and if that’s so how did we end up 12-2 ?? I’m a big fan of the defenses win championships but I think if you have a great offense you can get by with a so-so defense. We beat UF cause they have NO offense and UF ran all over LSU’s defense both games were won by the team with the best offense…ot looking for a fight I’m still having a hard time getting my head around it.
Laughing out Loud
January 9th, 2013
2:43 pm
Sports nerds spend to much time comparing, cmplaining and criticizing others who give their best!
Flip
January 9th, 2013
2:51 pm
Aagainst ranked teams, Murray always gets worse each year in accuracy and passing efficiency.
There is no “continuing to get better”. He never improves. He always “continues to get worse” in accuracy and passing effiency against ranked teams.
And the team win the East, and lost in the SEC Championship in BOTH 2011 AND 2012, no improvement, no “continuing to get better”, just staying where UGA was in 2011.
Same result, all 3 years, no sec championship for all 3 years since Murray took over.
Flip
January 9th, 2013
2:55 pm
Murray played poorly against all teams that ended up top 20 in the ap poll, played terrible against South Catrolina, Florida, and Alabama.
Played great against the rest of the non top tiered teams.
Then again, he always does, that’s Aaron Murray.
AltamahaDawg
January 9th, 2013
3:07 pm
Hopefully Murray continues the trend of getting worse each year. We’ll go undefeated at this pace.
@FLIP
January 9th, 2013
3:17 pm
What an idiot, name a QB that had a great game against Bama other than JM, Murray was 18-31 281 yards 1 int and 1 td. McCarron against the georgia defense was 13-21 161 yards 1 td and 1 int. If you thinks that’s bad against the best defense in America you know nothing. By the way JM only had 253 yards passing vs Bama and 171 yards passing vs FL. a whopping 25 more yards than Murray had vs UF.. Against South Carolina it wasn’t Murray having a bad day it was Georgia having a bad game. The comment he never improves is asinine 3893 yards passing ,65% completion %, 36 TD and only 10 interceptions.
hahaha
January 9th, 2013
3:22 pm
If Mason if frustrated then he needs to outshine Murray in practice, meetings, drills, etc… Unless Murray is the coaches pet and he can do no wrong? Or he could do a Tonya Harding? lol
AltamahaDawg
January 9th, 2013
3:26 pm
You HAVE to admit the dedication of this guy. 2 year of his life devoted to listing the stats of a an opposing team’s QB, over and over and over. That’s really committing to being a pest on another man’s sport blog. Weird and Sad, but consistant.
Alphare
January 9th, 2013
3:37 pm
WDE,
” I’m a big fan of the defenses win championships but I think if you have a great offense you can get by with a so-so defense”
That’s like a 1-leg runner winning Olympics. If I have an option, I’d choose a good D over a good O any day. Good O puts too much burden to one player, the QB. That’s never a good thing. McCoy knocked out, Texas lost, remember?
Old Dog Class of 80
January 9th, 2013
3:45 pm
“If Mason if frustrated then he needs to outshine Murray in practice, meetings, drills, etc… Unless Murray is the coaches pet and he can do no wrong?”
You ARE joking, right?
AltamahaDawg
January 9th, 2013
3:46 pm
Was your point was to illustate how the better offense won that game?
AltamahaDawg
January 9th, 2013
3:48 pm
What did you find funny about that comment, Old Dog?
AltamahaDawg
January 9th, 2013
3:56 pm
You are assuming that all UGA fan care about is what sort of NFL careers our players go on to have in determining thier significance in our college football team’s history?
Mongoose
January 9th, 2013
4:33 pm
Mason already tried being better than Murray in practice, he won the MVP award back in April, had the best Spring on the team. Mason also has tried being better in Spring games, as he’s bested Murray in passer efficiency ranking son every Spring game. Mason also tried besting Murray in regular seaosn games, he beat Murray in passer efficiency in every regular season game where both played. Mason also tried besting Murray in the SEC Championship against LSU beating Murray in passer efficiency. Mason has tried everything, won everything, and continues to ride the bench.
On the other hand, Murray is 1-11 against teams that finish top 20 in the AP Poll. I think Murray finished near the bottom of the SEC in sacks, interceptions, accuracy and passer efficiency, against rnked teams.
ghost
January 9th, 2013
4:37 pm
Piney, Your post shows an extreme lack of intelligence.
Mongoose
January 9th, 2013
4:42 pm
Areas Murray can work on:
1- Sacks, he gets sacked 200-300% more than Joe Cox & Matthew Stafford did
2- Accuracy, Murray finished ranked 90th in accuracy vs. ranked teams, nobody was worse in the SEC
3- Wins vs top 20 teams, Murray is now 1-11 vs. teams that finish top 20 in the AP Poll. He has played poorly in 11 of those 12 games.
4- tipped balls–cost UGA a National Championship with his tipped pass against Bama to end the game, needs to look off receivers, put more air under the ball, and try some creative ideas to throw over big defensive lineman since he’s so short.
5- Interceptions–the guy has averaged 11 interceptions per season at UGA, that’s absolutely HORRENDOUS.
6- Beating top SEC teams like LSU, Alabama, South Carolina.
7- Leadership- teams under his leadership lose the big game 90% of the time. I know the kid spend a lot of time by himself in a room looking at video, but is that leadership? Is it working?
Joey
January 9th, 2013
4:44 pm
Isaiah C = Buckeye
He is strangely obsessed with Crowell for reasons unknown . . .
Mongoose
January 9th, 2013
4:47 pm
All the other ranked SEC QB’s had great games against Alabama, both Mettenberger & Johnny Manziel had their best passing ame of the year against Alabama, Murray was the only QB on a ranked SEC team that had a bad performance against Alabama. Mettenberger & Manizel, both 1st year starters, were much more accurate (70-77%) than Murray (54%) and both threw no interceptions compared to 3 year starter Aaron Murray who completed 54% and threw an interception.
Joey
January 9th, 2013
4:52 pm
Mongoose Idiot, Murray went 3-2 vs teams ranked in the AP Top 25 THIS SEASON.
Vandy – W
SC – L
UF – W
Bama – L
Nebraska – W
He also beat 2 other teams who won bowl games (Ole Miss, Tech), and nearly beat the BCS Champ.
Why don’t you get some new material, idiot.
Mongoose
January 9th, 2013
4:57 pm
Murray went 1-3 vs top 20 teams Nebraska doesn’t count–wisonsin scored 70 on them. Vanderbilt isn’t a top 20 team either.
Againt top tiered teams that finished in the top 20 in the AP Poll, Murray is 1-11.
Joey
January 9th, 2013
5:02 pm
Figured that from a moron.
Look it up moron:
http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings
Mongoose
January 9th, 2013
5:11 pm
Murray’s record against teams that finished in the top 25 in:
2010 0-5
2011 0-4
Big K.
January 9th, 2013
5:33 pm
kool$kat
January 8th, 2013
4:54 pm
Maybe Aaron will learn to spike the ball in year 4.
These trailer park MYOPIC, MIDGET, MONKEY BRAIN SCRUBS are unbelievable…Aaron Murray DID NOT come back to UGA to win an SEC Championship, he returned because the National Football League did not want his SCRUB BUTT…PERIOD!!!!!
Aaron Murray is a HORRIBLE Quarterback and I wish he would leave UGA as soon as possible!!!
OVER-HYPED—OVER-RATED—OVER-EXPOSED!!! CLEARLY THE WORST QUARTERBACK AT UGA IN 10 YEARS!!!!
ARdawg
January 9th, 2013
5:39 pm
Never let the facts get in the way of a good lie eh Mongoose?
Mason has never been the heir apparent. If he wants the job nothing would stop him from winning it in spring camp.
ARdawg
January 9th, 2013
5:41 pm
Murray is returning to win a Ntional Championship and to beat Yech “one more time, for the good times” *in my best Ray Price voice*
lj
January 9th, 2013
6:32 pm
UGA had Clemson on the road and then South Carolina at Athens in games 1 and 2. South Carolina defense will be strong again with Clowney back to chase down Murray and Murray has not beaten South Carolina yet. Spurrier offense will be better too and I doubt Murray will win in his 4th try plus Clemson might win in the opener and then UGA would be 0-2.
Game Changer
January 9th, 2013
6:34 pm
A Murray and the offense scored:
no points in the first 58 minutes of the game against South Carolina
7 points on sideways pass and long run against Florida. Defense responsible for the other 10
21 points against Alabama for our offense, 7 points for the Defense against Alabama
Against the only 3 top tier teams we played in 2012: A Murray’s leadership scored a grand total of 28 points in 12 quarters of football. The defense scored 17.
A Murray sucks and it is time to move on without him. No way Hutson Mason is worse than A Murray.
Not one nfl football team was interested in A Murray.
kral
January 9th, 2013
7:20 pm
I bet hudson wishes you were the coach..cause you be doing some changing
RedandBlackDAWG
January 9th, 2013
8:56 pm
Buckeye
January 9th, 2013
11:09 am
Darn, you mean the Ohio State Athletic Dept. even arranged fr him to get a Lexus as well. That would explain a lot of things.
1969 Graduate
January 9th, 2013
9:56 pm
I’m very glad Aaron Murray is returning, and for the right reasons. He’s a Bulldog through and through and a darn fine QB.
Mr. Murray will be even better as a fully seasoned senior.
Go, Dawgs!
Leroy McChampions
January 9th, 2013
10:02 pm
Rodney G is gone and Airhead Murray wants to be the first back to back Capital One Bowl MVP ……….
PIERCE COUNTY DAWG
January 10th, 2013
3:23 am
GtBob we are tired of hearing your crap. Go to your bug site looser!!! Thanks Aron for coming back. Drum them yellw flies one more year in november!!!
PIERCE COUNTY DAWG
January 10th, 2013
3:30 am
Murray i wish you the BEST!!! DARN GOOD DOG!!!! Hope the defensive gets serious as you this year!!!! Thanks for a great season and games in the SEC CHAMPIONSHIP AND BOWL WIN OVER NEBRASKA!!!! GO DAWGS IN 2013!!!!
SEC Headlines 1/9/2012 – South Carolina – Gamecock News
January 10th, 2013
11:28 am
[...] 12. Backup quarterback Hutson Mason “frustrated” but “not giving up on dreams.” [...]
SEC Headlines 1/9/2012 – Arkansas – Razorbacks News
January 10th, 2013
11:47 am
[...] 12. Backup quarterback Hutson Mason “frustrated” but “not giving up on dreams.” [...]
Tide/Dawg
January 10th, 2013
1:20 pm
A lot of you bloggers out there(Mongoose, etc) seem to be better informed than I am. I didn’t know Murray called his own plays. I always thought the offensive coordinator called the play and Murray just executed them. Boy, am I dumb!!!
As far as Manziel’s game against Bama….I don’t think he did so well in the second half after Bama realized they had underestimated him. That won’t happen again. Look for more of that in 2013. Defenses will be better informed and will be geared to stop him from getting out of the pocket. Remember Tebow? When they stopped him from running he couldn’t hit his receivers. He has the same problem in the pros. A player like Manziel….he likes to run, he wants to run, that’s his first thought when he gets the ball in his hands. He’s not thinking about his receivers in pass routes. He wants to buy them time to get open with his feet. 4 seconds maybe 5 in the pocket and he wastes 2 of those seconds thinking about running. Any receiver can get open in 6 or 7 seconds and that’s why he was successful. He bought them that additional time to get open by scrambling and he is accurate on the run. Keep him in the pocket and see what happens. You will find out if he’s great…or average.
hornblowermg
January 10th, 2013
2:58 pm
murray is a disgusting pretender to a much better qb, Hutson Mason.
hornblowermg
January 10th, 2013
3:09 pm
every spring Mason has shown himself to be the better quarterback, and every fall cmr delivers his style of Christian shaft and plays his pet murray. you can call it playing your experienced qb, but it is being a “respecter of persons”.
TK
January 11th, 2013
2:39 pm
Finally a kid with his head on straight and bleeds Black and Red. It’s not always a money grab(Stafford,Green,Moreno). Bring home the belt dawgs!!!Bout damn time.
brandon
January 11th, 2013
8:25 pm
aaron leave