Trinton Sturdivant's injury-plagued Georgia career has been little short of tragic, at least as tragedy goes in football: Three torn ACLs have ended three separate seasons for the talented offensive tackle, and the latest, in April, could well have ended his career.
But Sturdivant doesn't think like that, and told The Red & Black that he's planning to come back to football in 2012 — as a tight end.
"Obviously, I would not try to come back and play offensive tackle, but I have made a decision," he said. "I have skills in the sense that I could possibly move to a different position and see myself excelling in it because of my athletic ability."
Sturdivant, who says he hasn't discussed the position change with Georgia's tight ends coach, sees himself as a potentially valuable blocker at the position, and isn't worried about the competition against Orson Charles and other highly-touted recruits. He's also considering the move something of a necessity, given that he's lost more than 50 pounds from his playing weight at tackle since surgery to repair his torn ACL in April.
But while Sturdivant is a good bet to receive a medical redshirt and be granted a sixth year of eligibility in 2012, he's probably going to be fine if football doesn't work out. He's on track to graduate with a double major in finance and management in December, has applied to graduate school for a master's in sports management, and will apply to law school. If he attacks any of those careers with the tenacity he's shown in coming back from multiple serious injuries, he might just be a success.