Todd Gurley suffered a torn ACL during Georgia’s 34-7 home win over SEC rival Auburn on Saturday, leading to speculation that his Bulldogs’ career could effectively be over.
Once considered a leading Heisman Trophy candidate early this season, the 20-year-old star running back went down on a non-contact play following a six-yard gain with a little more than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and Georgia safely leading 27-7. After being helped to the sidelines, Gurley was seen sitting on the Bulldogs’ sidelines, his knees heavily wrapped in ice, as teammates sought to console him.
It was Gurley’s first game back for Georgia since serving a four-game, NCAA imposed suspension for accepting money for autographs and other signed memorabilia rumored to have pocketed him be in excess of more than $3,000 over a two-year period.
At the time of his suspension, Gurley was second in the nation in all-purpose yards. In all, Gurley rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns in six games this season. Gurley’s best Bulldogs’ season came during his freshmen year when he rushed for 1,385 yards and 17 touchdowns. Gurley followed that up with a sophomore season where he rushed for 989 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Prior to the injury, most NFL pre-draft boards pegged the 6-1, 226 pound Gurley as a surefire first-round draft pick who could potentially go as high as in the Top 10 in next year’s draft.
“He hurt his knee,” coach Mark Richt told reporters shortly after Saturday’s game and before the results of Gurley’s MRI were known on Sunday. “We’ll just have to see what it was. I’m just as curious as everybody else. I just don’t know.”
With the win, the No.16 Bulldogs improved to 8-2 overall and 6-2 in the SEC. Georgia hosts Charlestown Southern and Georgia Tech in its last two regular season games.
[Photo Credit: Diamond Duste]