Sedrick Van Pran has 'no desire' for more carries after rushing for first down

For a moment, Sedrick Van Pran was a running back. He wants no part of it again. On Tuesday, the Georgia offensive lineman recounted his unlikely first down run against Vanderbilt.

“Something went wrong. It was just out of the usual rhythm,” Van Pran said to On3’s Andy Staples, remembering the dropped snap. “The only thing I was thinking about is that maybe it was third and four or five, something like that, and I knew that we were down and we had to get this third down.

“My biggest thing was just trying to find the ball and go. It was less thinking. It was just I messed up. I got to figure out a way to make this right for the team because I don’t want to be responsible for it.”

#UGA OC Sedrick Van Pran is not only one of the top centers in the country, he can rumble too🔥

Picked up a fumbled snap and got a first down!

pic.twitter.com/ciZZSQfCuR

— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) October 14, 2023

To be specific, it was third and one on Georgia’s 38-yard line. Due to an early turnover, Georgia trailed Vanderbilt 7-0 midway through the third quarter. Van Pran wasn’t willing to allow the Commodores to squeeze another mistake out of the UGA offense.

“I was just looking for [the football] and, for whatever reason, it was like it was like golden or something,” Van Pran said with a smile. “It was like lighting up at me, so I just tried to grab it and get as much as I could and thank the Lord that it ended up working out.”

Van Pran picked up the first and, just five plays later, the Bulldogs bullied their way into the end zone to even the score. They never looked back. The team finished with 552 yards in the 37-20 victory. While Van Pran is happy he saved the play, he isn’t anxious to carry the pigskin again.

“I don’t want to carry the ball against Florida,” Van Pran said. “Maybe in my last game. Maybe we’ll be up in that game or something and maybe I can do something, but I have no desire to to want to do anything.”

Luckily for Van Pran, Georgia doesn’t need any help in the backfield. After all, he’s done well at his current position. Van Pran was named to the Midseason All-America Team by AP (Second Team) and ESPN. Additionally, Van earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honor for his performance in UGA’s win over South Carolina.

Georgia will need Van Pran’s talents again this weekend. On Saturday, Georgia will face off against Florida at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on CBS.