Georgia TE Brock Bowers has TD catch in return from ankle surgery
More Teams. More Games.
Georgia QB Carson Beck lobs the ball into the end zone, where Brock Bowers makes the grab for the touchdown. (0:28)
ATHENS, Georgia — While watching film of a recent Georgia practice, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart noticed a red blur running behind one of the plays. The player, who was wearing a red jersey because he was injured, was running fast — very fast.
“It was about 20 yards back behind the play,” Smart said. “It was a guy flying across the field. I thought, ‘Who is that?'”
When Smart slowed the play down, he realized it was injured tight end Brock Bowers, who had undergone TightRope surgery on his left ankle only a couple of weeks earlier.
“I was like, ‘Oh, my God, it’s Brock,'” Smart said. “I knew we had a chance then. He’s just different. He took a path that no one takes on that injury. He just said, ‘This is what I’m doing.'”
Only 26 days after having surgery to repair a high ankle sprain, Bowers returned to action for the first time Saturday in what was probably his final game at Sanford Stadium. The All-American had three catches for 34 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, helping lead the No. 2 Bulldogs to a 52-17 rout of No. 9 Ole Miss.
“First and foremost, it’s ridiculous,” Georgia quarterback Carson Beck said. “What was it, like a month ago or so when he hurt his ankle and then got surgery? For him to come back that fast and still play at the level he plays at, which is obviously a very high level, is super impressive.”
Bowers, a junior from Napa, California, was hurt in the first half of a 37-20 victory at Vanderbilt on Oct. 14. The next day, he had TightRope surgery, which involves using surgical thread instead of metal screws and is designed to accelerate recovery. The typical recovery time is four to six weeks but sometimes longer for certain players.
Not for Bowers. Smart said former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned from the procedure in 27 days when he played for the Crimson Tide in 2019.
“It was in the realm,” Smart said. “There was a belief that he could do it and would have to do something special. The day after it happened, his mother and father called, and they wanted to be aggressive with it. They wanted to treat it. One of the best things for it is to get back on it and get it moving and not let it stiffen up.”
It helped Bowers that the Bulldogs had an open date the week after he was injured. He missed Georgia’s 43-20 victory over Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, on Oct. 28 and a 30-21 win over Missouri at home last week.
When Smart didn’t rule out the possibility of Bowers playing against the Rebels earlier this week, it sounded like gamesmanship. By saying there was a chance Bowers might play, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin would at least have to prepare for the possibility.
Smart said Bowers never considered shutting it down for the rest of the season after he was hurt, despite what is expected to be a bright future in the NFL. Bowers is ranked the No. 4 prospect available for the 2023 draft by ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. Smart said agents called Bowers and told him not to play another game at Georgia.
“People called him and told him that, and those people will not be representing him, I can promise you that,” Smart said. “All it did was piss him off. He said, ‘Guys, I’ve had people call and tell me that I shouldn’t play. That just drives me crazy and makes me want to play more to prove them wrong. Why am I in this game if I’m not going to come back and play?'”
By pushing himself to come back so quickly, Smart believes Bowers might have made himself even more money by proving his toughness and commitment.
“He’s not risking millions, guys,” Smart said. “He has an opportunity to get more millions. Like, it’s the other way because he’s a great player. The NFL knows people heal from that injury. They’ve had tons of that same injury in the NFL. All he did was go out and stamp himself as a warrior. He said, ‘I’m going to go out here and practice on Tuesday in front of 15 scouts and then I’m going to practice on Wednesday in front of 12 scouts. They’re all going to be over there going, Oh, my God.’ He’s got an opportunity to move up.”
With Bowers back in the lineup, the Bulldogs piled up 611 yards of offense against Ole Miss. Beck threw for 306 yards with two touchdowns on 18-for-25 passing. Georgia ran for 300 yards on 35 carries, with Kendall Milton gaining a career-high 127 yards and two scores on just nine attempts.
Georgia won its 27th straight game and captured its third straight SEC East title. It closes the regular season at Tennessee next week and at Georgia Tech on Nov. 25. The Bulldogs will get another showdown against No. 8 Alabama in the SEC championship game on Dec. 2.
“They got their tackle back and their tight end back,” Kiffin said. “We didn’t tackle. They have got really physical backs. I said it earlier in the week, but I think that offense is overlooked because it is defensive made team people think. That is a really good offense. That was a concern. We really hadn’t played — no disrespect — a really elite passer for a while since LSU. I was concerned that may show up today, and we don’t do everything we need to do and certainly didn’t.”