When Georgia tight end Brock Bowers had an ankle injury on October 14 that necessitated surgery, his junior season was somewhat sidetracked. A few days after the injury, Bowers underwent tightrope ankle surgery, and the most recent reports are encouraging for his rehabilitation.
In a Tuesday statement, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart mentioned Bowers and said the player has been making every effort to get back on the field. After taking some time off, Smart said Bowers has been doing everything he can to get back into condition. The Bulldogs head coach also mentioned that Bowers is back to running on dry land.
“He’s working hard. He’s doing all he can in terms of trying to get himself in shape and get better,” Smart said. “We’re hopeful that he keeps getting better. I mean, that’s kind of the MO on this injury. Every kid we’ve had so far that’s had it, Week 1 they do this, Week 2 they do this, Week 3 they do that, and Week 4 — I mean, he’s right on schedule for the things he’s been doing.”
Smart was asked a follow up about how much pain tolerance factors into a player’s return, but Smart didn’t have a solid feel for the answer.
“I don’t know. Some guys say it hurts worse than others. I mean, [Lawson] Luckie shared his experiences with Brock. Jah’s had two of them. Cash has had one,” Smart said. “[Amarius] Mims has obviously had one, so from what I hear it’s more painful in the beginning. It’s like a rollercoaster ride: it has its ups and downs and moments. You continue to push through it, and you get better as you go.”
Bowers’ activity has not gone unnoticed by his teammates who, like all the Georgia fans, are anxiously awaiting his return.
Georgia wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint said Bowers has looked good so far this week and that it looks like Bowers is making good progress. While Rosemy-Jacksaint made it clear he doesn’t know all the ins and outs of Bowers’ recovery, the veteran receiver said there’s been talk of Bowers hitting some high speeds this week.
I just know what he’s been running. I heard he hit some high speed — 19, 20 [miles per hour], something like that,” Rosemy-Jacksaint said. “Yeah, he’s progressing. He’s looking to get back. We’re excited for him to get back on the field because, you know, we definitely miss him on the field. Yeah, you know, we’re hoping and we’re just waiting.”
Bowers was injured with roughly seven minutes to go in the second quarter of Georgia’s Week 7 game against Vanderbilt. Bowers went down after a reverse, slowly got up then returned to the turf. Bowers punched the ground in frustration then headed to the sideline, where he was first evaluated in a medical tent and then looked at further elsewhere.
Bowers underwent tightrope ankle surgery on Oct. 16. Smart declined to give a timeline for Bowers’ return to action.
Bowers was there for both last week’s game against Missouri and the team’s trip to Jacksonville for their Week 9 matchup versus Florida. He wasn’t dressed to the nines for either competition.
The Bulldogs had three scholarship tight ends available because of Bowers’ absence: true freshman Lawson Luckie and Pearce Spurlin, as well as sophomore Oscar Delp.
In seven games this season, Bowers has 41 receptions for 567 yards and 4 touchdowns. This season, Bowers was the subject of significant Heisman Trophy talk, particularly following an Auburn game in which he had eight receptions for 157 yards and one score, helping Georgia overcome a deficit to win 27–20.
