ATHENS, Ga. — Less than a month after UGA tight end Brock Bowers suffered a high ankle sprain against Vanderbilt and subsequently underwent surgery days later, the star pass catcher returned to the practice field on Tuesday.
According to 11Alive's UGA insiders at Rivals, Bowers was seen practicing in a black non-contact jersey. Head coach Kirby Smart confirmed that Bowers was back running after jogging in practice before the Mizzou game. Even wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint said Bowers was running speeds of nearly 20 mph in practice.
But Smart said Bowers' potential availability doesn't just hinge on Bowers being able to run.
“Straight line running is not football, unfortunately, maybe on kickoff or something else, but the other areas, you’ve got to have that,” Smart said. “But he’s working towards that. I’ve never seen a person work as hard as he has to try to create an opportunity for himself.”
Bowers underwent TightRope surgery, a procedure that uses a surgical technique to "stabilize and reinforce the relationship between the fibula (the outer bone of the lower leg) and the tibia (the shinbone)."
The recovery typically takes at least six weeks, according to Dr. Janice Bonsu with Emory University. UGA tight end Lawson Luckie and right tackle Amarius Mims underwent the same procedure. The injury has sidelined Luckie for seven weeks, and Mims is still sidelined from his injury seven weeks later despite dressing out for the last two games.
If Bowers can somehow return to the field on Saturday in a pivotal SEC battle Between the Hedges against Ole Miss at 7 p.m., he would have recovered from the injury in just 26 days. For what it's worth, former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa underwent the same surgery several years ago and returned to the field in just 27 days.
Smart said that if Bowers can suit up, they will be sure it will not impact his surefire NFL future.
“I don’t think we put the future at risk at all. That’s a medical decision," Smart said. "We’ve got a great staff here, we’ve got unbelievable doctors here, the surgeon who did the surgery, all those things are taken into account. They have boxes that you check, and when you check the boxes, it turns back to the player and their comfort level. Then it goes to the coaches to how effective they can be.”
11Alive's UGA insider Radi Nabulsi believes that Bowers will play on Saturday. However, only time will tell.
