Kirby Smart says Trenton Thompson making progress after health scare

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said defensive tackle Trenton Thompson, center, is progressing well after an incident late last month that left the 6-foot-4, 309-pound junior hospitalized.
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said defensive tackle Trenton Thompson, center, is progressing well after an incident late last month that left the 6-foot-4, 309-pound junior hospitalized.

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said Wednesday that defensive tackle Trenton Thompson is "doing well" after an incident late last month in Athens in which the 6-foot-4, 309-pound junior was disoriented when stopped by university police.

Thompson, who was taken to the hospital for what wound up being an adverse reaction to medications taken for an undisclosed medical condition, dropped out of spring semester classes but attended Wednesday's pro day.

"He's doing really well," Smart told reporters. "We're very pleased with his progress. He continues to get better."

When asked if he was hopeful that Thompson, the No. 1 prospect nationally in the 2015 signing class, could rejoin the team for summer workouts, Smart said, "Hopeful, yeah. Hopeful."

Thompson capped his sophomore season with a three-sack performance in Georgia's 31-23 victory over TCU in the Liberty Bowl in December, earning game MVP honors. He underwent shoulder surgery after the season and was not scheduled to go through spring drills even before withdrawing from school.

Smart said Thompson has been going through rehabilitation at Georgia, adding that the school is seeking waivers to allow him to attend offseason meetings.

All 32 NFL teams were represented at Georgia's pro day, including a visit from Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn. Former Bulldogs receiver Isaiah McKenzie, who was the only pro day participant to receive an invitation to last month's NFL combine, told reporters he would have needed to appeal to the university regarding an academic issue if he wanted to return for his senior season.

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

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