NCAA issues four-game suspension for Georgia's Gurley

photo Tailback Todd Gurley (3) must sit out two more weeks.

The NCAA announced Wednesday that Georgia junior tailback Todd Gurley has to sit out four games, or 30 percent of the season, for accepting more than $3,000 from multiple individuals for autographed memorabilia and other items over the past two years.

Gurley, who publicly acknowledged last week to violating NCAA rules, must repay a portion of the money to a charity of his choice, and he must complete 40 hours of community service as additional conditions for his reinstatement. He already missed Georgia's victories at Missouri and at Arkansas earlier this month, so the four-game suspension would include this Saturday's game against Florida in Jacksonville and next week's trip to Kentucky.

"We can only control certain things," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said, "and my goal is to control how well we practice and how hard we prepare. That's been our focus all season long and maybe a little more in the last couple of ball games when there were questions and things swirling around that could have become a distraction.

"I think our players have done a really good job of only worrying about the things they can control."

Georgia announced that it would immediately appeal the NCAA's decision.

The 6-foot-1, 232-pound Gurley was the leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy when he was suspended Oct. 9. Barring a successful appeal, he will not be eligible to play again until Nov. 15, when the No. 9 Bulldogs host No. 4 Auburn.

Gurley has rushed 94 times for 773 yards (8.2 per carry) and eight touchdowns this season, but backup Nick Chubb has 99 carries for 569 yards (5.7) and five scores. Chubb, a freshman from Cedartown, Ga., has a combined 345 yards on 68 carries since Gurley's suspension.

"It doesn't affect our preparation," Florida coach Will Muschamp said. "They've got a stable of backs who are very talented. Nick Chubb has done an outstanding job while Todd's been gone."

The NCAA determined that a 30-percent withholding condition for Gurley was consistent with precedent in similar cases and that "additional withholding was strongly considered because the violations occurred over multiple years with multiple individuals, and the student received extensive rules education about the prohibition of receiving payment for autographs."

The governing body added that Georgia's "due diligence in its investigation and the student's full disclosure of his involvement in the violations were factors in not imposing a more severe withholding condition."

Georgia submitted Gurley's reinstatement request last Wednesday. The NCAA said it requested additional information last Friday, which it received from the university on Saturday and Sunday.

The NCAA's membership committee, which oversees the reinstatement process, will review the appeal. That committee can reduce or remove the conditions the staff has imposed, but it cannot increase them.

Gurley participated in Wednesday's 90-minute practice.

"When rules are broken, you don't have control over discipline, and that's part of life," Richt said. "I told Todd to stay in good spirits and good shape and for everyone else to focus on the task at hand."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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