5 Georgia football players affected most by pro day cancellation
The ripple effects of the coronavirus are extending further and further into the future of the sports world.
In the short term, it has forced the cancellation of virtually every event on the sports calendar. This includes Georgia football’s pro day, which had been scheduled for Wednesday.
These pro days are vital for departing collegiate players to make an impression on NFL coaches and scouts. This goes double for those players who did not receive an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine (the 10 Bulldogs in Indianapolis were: Rodrigo Blankenship, K; Lawrence Cager, WR; Jake Fromm, QB; Brian Herrien, RB; Solomon Kindley, OL; J.R. Reed, S; D’Andre Swift, RB; Andrew Thomas, OL; Isaiah Wilson, OL; and Charlie Woerner, TE.)
With Georgia’s event off the books, here are five Bulldogs who are hardest hit by pro day’s cancellation:
Tae Crowder
Crowder was perhaps the most surprising omission from the contingent Georgia sent to the combine.
A convert from running back to middle linebacker, Crowder started every game in 2019 and finished second on the team with 62 tackles. His play earned him a spot as one of 12 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, given to the top linebacker in the country.
Despite these accolades, Crowder didn’t receive an invite to Indianapolis for the Combine. His game tape will still likely result in his name being called in the NFL Draft, but Crowder could have used the chance to show his skills in person in front of league personnel.
Eli Wolf
Georgia’s leading receiver at tight end in 2019 also didn’t make the trip to Indianapolis.
Wolf pulled in 13 catches for 194 yards and a touchdown last season. Those are far from eye-popping numbers, but that’s still four more catches and more than twice as many yards as combine participant and fellow tight end Charlie Woerner.
Tyler Simmons
Simmons never really broke out at receiver in Athens, picking up 35 receptions for 438 yards and three touchdowns in his Georgia career.
However, his speed has always been his defining characteristic. It’s this trait that could have appealed to NFL teams, particularly those who might be looking for a quality special teams player late in the draft.
Without a pro day to show off that speed, Simmons will hope tape is enough to get a chance as a late-round pick or undrafted free agent.
Tyler Clark
A strong Rose Bowl performance against Oklahoma at the end of the 2017 season showed the game-wrecking potential Clark possesses. Since then, he has been one of the anchors of the Georgia defensive front.
Clark played in all but one game over the past two seasons and made 23 starts, notching 57 tackles and 12 tackles for loss. He led the team in that latter category with eight stops in the backfield in 2019.
Yet, the Americus native didn’t join his teammates at the Combine. He will have to hope teams see performances like that Rose Bowl and decide to give him a shot.
David Marshall
Like Clark, Marshall has been a staple on Georgia’s defensive line since he and Clark’s first game against North Carolina in 2016.
He did miss eight games in 2018 with a Lisfranc injury, but played in every game but one in 2017 and 2019 and recorded 39 tackles in those years. But just like the other Bulldogs on this list, he will have to hope his film is enough to find himself into the NFL.