Georgia RB Todd Gurley Suspended Indefinitely
Junior running back for the Georgia Bulldogs, Todd Gurley has been suspended by the university, as allegations of NCAA rules violations are investigated. In a press release, Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt stated, “I’m obviously very disappointed….The important thing for our team is to turn all our attention toward preparation for Missouri.”
While the exact reason for the indefinite suspension has not been made available, it has been implicated that NCAA violation revolves around selling autographs. According to a suspended account on Reddit who had prior knowledge of the situation on Spetember 27, a high profile player, who is now believed to be Gurley, had been selling autographed apparel on eBay. The author of the posts also remarked that “he got sloppy and greedy and its going to bite him in the butt.”
This suspension comes 14 months after former Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel was suspended for the first half of a season-opener, after being involved in selling autographs, a violation of NCAA rules. Unlike in the case of Manziel, Gurley will likely be suspended much longer than just the first half of Georgia’s next game.
Gurley was considered a Heisman Trophy candidate, as well as a future first round pick in the NFL Draft, as soon as 2015. This suspension will more than likely put Gurley’s Heisman hopes in peril, and may affect his draft stock, as well. Through five games this season, Gurley had rushed for 773 yards on 94 carries and added 8 touchdowns on the ground.
Georgia carried a 4-1 record with Gurley, ranking as the 13th team in nation in the latest polls. Despite Gurley’s suspension, Georgia’s running game is believed to be secure with freshmen running backs Sony Michel and Nick Chubb looking excellent in limited appearances behind Gurley. The pair had combined for 447 yards and 7 touchdowns prior to this coming Saturday’s contest with the 23rd ranked Missouri Tigers. The loss of Gurley is nevertheless a huge blow for the Bulldogs.
Be sure to follow LWOS’s Michael Gray – @mgrayuga – for more on this developing story.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LWOS_Sibo. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for? GO!
Interested in writing for us? Find out more by visiting our “Write for Us” page.
