Athens Clarke-County Police have determined that Georgia star running back Todd Gurley was falsely accused of an assault at an Athens, Ga., bar in the early hours of Sunday morning after it was learned that the victim had been punched by a white male. Gurley is black.
A 20-year-old male Georgia student called in the complaint at 3:18 a.m., the Savannah Morning News reported, but declined to pursue charges after police told him that surveillance video from the Bourbon Street Bar & Grill on Broad Street showed he was punched by a white male.
After the accusation was made, Gurley agreed to be interviewed by police. Gurley told a detective that the victim had been attempting to take a "selfie" photo with his cellphone that included Gurley in the background, according to police. Gurley said he did not see the victim get punched, but did see some guys pushing him, per police. Police said Gurley saw that the victim had lost his hat, and that the victim directed a racial epithet at Gurley after Gurley had reached down to pick up the hat for the victim.
Gurley is one of the top NFL prospects in college football, and is a potential Heisman Trophy winner as the Bulldogs' most dynamic offensive threat. Earlier on Saturday, he rushed for a career-high 208 yards in a win over rival Tennessee.
Gurley has no track record of trouble at Georgia, but incidents like his one could nevertheless make the junior more inclined to enter the 2015 NFL Draft. Georgia coach Mark Richt has suggested he expects Gurley to leave for the NFL after the season.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
