Georgia this week has suspended Todd Gurley for an indefinite amount of time after he was caught for illegally selling merchandise. He had a dealer that distributed apparel and autograph memorabilia for personal profit. The investigation dates back to last spring, after he signed 80 pieces of memorbilia for a total of $400. He now faces criminal charges and loses his early Heisman vote as well. Losing Gurley is a huge blow to the Georgia offense, who is averaging just 170.2 yards per game through the air. Gurley was a huge force in the running game, which is 13th in the FBS.
Gurley was a large contributer in the offense with 772 yards and 8 TDs through 6 games. He was the type of physical back needed to get extra yardage, with a mix of speed and agility to get down the field.Georgia now has to rely on Nick Chubb and Sony Michael to pick up the bulk of the work with the absence of Gurley. In order for Georgia to be a contender, they must focus on the defense to step up. Each game, the points against Georgia builds up and eventually become too much to overcome.
This was supposed to be Gurley’s final year before entering the NFL Draft. He is 3rd in school history in rushing yards and Rushing TD’s and seventh in total carries. He was projected to go Mid First round in the 2015 NFL draft, and could’ve been a suitable fit for many teams in need of a strong running back. Now, one mistake cost him his chance of going pro.
“He’s been my Heisman choice since the season started,” Georgia cornerback Damian Swann said after the Tennessee game. “I’m pretty sure he’s about to put one heck of a campaign together.”
This is not the first time this type of allegations was focused on Georgia. WR AJ Green, now a star WR for the Cincinnati Bengals, was suspended for 4 games after admitting to selling his Independence Bowl Jersey in 2010. The question now focuses on the NCAA. The possibility arises of a change in policy from the NCAA regarded the sale of memorabilia for profit. Many people argue that college athletes deserve to get paid like the pros, even though receiving a scholarship is very similar to an average paycheck. The only difference is scholarships can’t be turned into personal profit, just the ability to get an education for free or very little. If athletes got paid, all NCAA policies on illegal selling of equipment for profit can be erased, because players wouldn’t have to go to desperate measures to make ends meet. For many players, college is their final chance of finding work, and many struggle to find jobs after college.
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