Brock Bowers Making Progress Towards Return

Comments from Georgia's coaches and players appear to point towards All-American tight end Brock Bowers potentially making a return from injury this week against Ole Miss.

Georgia fans across the country collectively held their breath when All-American tight end Brock Bowers beat the ground in frustration after suffering an apparent lower extremity injury against Vanderbilt on Oct. 14. A few days later, their worst fears were confirmed when it was announced that Bowers did indeed suffer the feared high ankle sprain and would miss an indeterminate amount of time, just as Georgia's schedule was heating up. While Georgia managed to find a way to win each of their last two games without Bowers, it is increasingly looking like the Bulldogs will not have to do so again this season.

Upon being diagnosed with a high ankle sprain Bowers opted to undergo TightRope surgery in an effort to reduce his recovery time from 6-8 weeks to 4-6 weeks. After spending the last three weeks relentlessly attacking the rehabilitation process, Georgia fans were treated to an encouraging sign last week when Bowers was spotted on the Georgia sideline without a boot while his team faced a tough Missouri squad. After the game, Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart indicated that Bowers had begun to do some light jogging and was making progress in his recovery.

Tuesday brought even more positive news for the Bulldog faithful as Smart provided an additional promising update on the Bowers' progress ahead of Georgia's top-10 matchup with Ole Miss on Saturday. 

“He’s working hard. He’s doing all he can in terms of trying to get himself into shape and get better. He’s back to running now, running on dry land, and he keeps getting better,” Smart said. “That’s kind of the MO of this injury. Every kid we’ve had who has had it, Week 1 they did this, Week 2 they did that, Week 3, and Week 4. He’s right on schedule for what he’s been doing.”

Smart was not the only member of the Georgia team to provide a hopeful update on the progress of the reigning Mackey Award winner as wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint offered even more specifics on the encouraging progress Bowers is making from his ankle injury.

"Brock's been looking good. I've been watching him. It seems like he's progressing fast" Rosemy-Jacksaint said. "He's been running. I heard he hit like 19, 20 mph (on the GPS), something like that. He's progressing, he's looking to get back. We're excited for him to get back because we certainly miss him on the field. We're just hoping and waiting."

Georgia TE Brock Bowers enters the medical tent.  / Brooks Austin

When asked how much pain tolerance would play a role in any potential return Bowers may make, Smart explained that the recovery from a high ankle sprain differs from player to players, but has its fair share of ups and downs no matter who the player is.

“I don’t know. Some guys say it hurts worse than others, Luckie shared his experiences with Brock. From what I hear, it’s more painful in the beginning,” Smart said. “It’s like a roller coaster ride. It has its ups and downs and moments, you continue to push through it and get better as you go.”

Despite missing the last two games, Bowers still leads the Bulldogs with 41 receptions for 567 yards and four touchdowns. While Georgia fans and the rest of the college football-consuming public will likely not truly know Bowers' status until Saturday's game against Ole Miss kicks off at 7:00 PM ET, the tea leaves are increasingly portending that Bowers will makes his much-anticipated return this week against the Rebels to play one final game between the hedges of Sanford Stadium. 

Other Georgia News:

• Two Georgia Bulldogs Earn SEC Player of the Week Awards For Week 10
• Player Profile: How Can Oscar Delp Contribute to Georgia's Success?
• WATCH: Kirby Smart Joins Media to Recap Missouri and Look Ahead to Ole Miss

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