Brock Bowers takes 'aggressive approach' to come back, makes impact for Georgia in return

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia got its best player back Saturday night against Ole Miss, and it showed. Tight end Brock Bowers made his return to the field just 26 days after undergoing tight rope surgery on his left ankle and provided the Bulldog offense with a major morale boost in their 52-17 win over the Rebels.

“Every time Brock touched the ball you could hear the crowd light up,” Georgia running back Kendall Milton said. “Carson (Beck) told me, ‘Watch, they’re about to get loud.'”

Milton certainly was right as the crowd responded anytime Bowers’ name was mentioned over the P.A. system. First it was as a starter. Then, it was for his first reception early in the second quarter. Finally, with just 14:12 to go in the game, it was for a trip to the end zone.

Just at a glance, Bowers’ three-catch, 34-yard day with a touchdown isn’t going to blow anybody’s minds. After all, he’s had three 100-yard outings this season alone. What would change that though is the context of said performance on Saturday and the hard work Bowers put in to make it possible.

“Brock was hellbent to get back out there,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said in his postgame press conference.

“I knew it was in the realm. Tua (Tagovailoa) did it in 27 (days). It was a belief that he’d have to do something special,” he added about how quickly after surgery Bowers was back on the field. “The day after it happened, his mother and father called and wanted to be aggressive with it and wanted to treat it. One of the best things for it is to get back on it, move it and not let it stiffen. We had had experience with other guys taking longer, and he took a really aggressive approach to it. He’s different.”

‘Different’ is absolutely a fair word to use to describe Bowers. He’s been that way over the course of his entire career in Athens, and it’s why the fan appreciation was there in what was likely Bowers’ last game at Sanford Stadium.

“I didn’t have an expectation for Brock. I thought Brock would do what he could,” Smart said. “I knew, I don’t know when it was so don’t quote me on it, but I was watching film of practice and there was a red blur back behind the play I was watching, about 20 yards behind it. It looked like a guy flying across the field, and I was like, ‘Who is that?’ And I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s Brock.’ I knew we had a chance then. He’s just different. He took a path that no one takes on that injury and said, ‘This is what I’m doing.'”

Smart shared that during his rehab process, Bowers received multiple calls from folks suggesting he shouldn’t attempt to come back. Their advice was to shut it down and turn his attention to the NFL Draft instead. That only made Bowers want to play more.

“People called him and told him that. Those people will not be representing him, I can promise you that. All it did was piss him off,” Smart said. “He said, ‘I had people calling and telling me I shouldn’t play, Coach.’ He said, ‘That just drives me crazy. It makes me want to play more to prove them wrong.’ He said, ‘Why am I in this game if I’m not going to come back and play?’”

“He’s not risking millions, guys. He has an opportunity to get more millions. Like, it’s the other way. It’s not the way, because he’s a great player,” Smart continued. “The NFL knows people heal. They 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 that said, ‘I’m going to go out here and practice on Tuesday in front of 15 scouts, then I’m going to practice on Wednesday in front of 12 scouts,’ and they’re all going to be over there going like, ‘Oh my God.’ He’s got an opportunity to move up because of who he is.”

While Bowers’ draft stock for next spring remains to be seen in full, what’s certain is that his presence on the field gives Georgia a better chance to take home a third straight National Championship. His teammates know that, and they absolutely were appreciative of what he did to help the team.

“I knew as fast as he could be back, he would be back. That’s the kind of player he is,” Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey said. “I haven’t seen a recovery like that. If there’s somebody that did it quicker than him, kuddos to them because I saw him in the training room constantly, all day every day just wanting to get back, and he did it.”

“Brock’s the hardest working guy I’ve ever met and there’s no competition,” Milton added. “His rehab, he was attacking his rehab. Honestly, he’s in a position where he didn’t have to come back. He didn’t have to come back this season, but that’s not the type of person he is, the type of teammate and player he is. He puts his team before everybody. I’m blessed to have a brother like Brock and can’t wait to see how far we can take it.”

Bowers and the Bulldogs have their spot in the SEC Championship Game and a date with Alabama there clinched already, but Georgia’s got two games to go in the regular season. UGA will travel to Knoxville next Saturday to take on Tennessee before a rivalry weekend game in Atlanta against Georgia Tech. Kickoff time for next week’s game versus the Volunteers is set for 3:30 p.m. ET at Neyland Stadium on CBS.