Richt Suspends Two

((HT: AJC/Tim Tucker))

Georgia football players Bruce Figgins and Justin Houston have been suspended for violating team rules, coach Mark Richt announced Saturday.

Figgins, a junior tight end, was suspended for the first six games of the 2009 season and Houston, a redshirt sophomore defensive end, for the first two games.

A third player, junior wide receiver Tony Wilson, also violated team rules, Richt announced, but he was not suspended because he is in the process of being medically disqualified from competition because of a slow recovery from a severe ankle injury suffered in spring 2008.

Richt did not disclose the rules violated.

“I’m very disappointed in the poor judgment of these players,” Richt said in a prepared statement. “They’ll have to pay an appropriate price, and I’m confident they will learn an important lesson from their mistake.”

Richt had no further comment Saturday, Georgia spokesman Claude Felton said.

Figgins, who started two of 13 games last season, missed spring practice while rehabbing from January shoulder surgery.

Houston started only one game last season but seemed to get a jump on a possible 2009starting job in spring practice, when he was one of only two scholarship defensive ends healthy.

Wilson caught one pass last season, missing most of the season because of the ankle injury that continued to affect him this spring.

Monday Injury Updates: Ad-Vancing The Story

From the UNC website it's own self...

"University of North Carolina senior wide receiver Brandon Tate ((pictured, thanks UNC)) injured his right knee in the first quarter of North Carolina's 29-24 win over Notre Dame and did not return. An examination by UNC Sports Medicine revealed a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL). An MRI on Sunday night confirmed that diagnosis. Tate will miss the remainder of the season and will undergo surgery at UNC Hospitals later this week."

From Marc Weiszer and onlineathens.com on UGA injuries...

"As expected, starting left offensive tackle Vince Vance is out for the season. He'll need reconstructive surgery on a torn ACL in his right knee. He also had MCL damage that coach Mark Richt said Sunday evening could repair itself."We'll see how it goes, but Ron (Courson) feels like he'll be ready to play next season," Richt said referring to Georgia's director of sports medicine.

Tight end Bruce Figgins plans to play the rest of the season and delay shoulder surgery until after the season. That's what Figgins told tight ends coach John Lilly today, Richt said. Kiante Tripp is likely to move back from tight end to tackle and play in a reserve role."

And in the NFL...

From WGR AM550 in Buffalo, Trent Edwards was taking snaps this morning at the team's practice facility in Orchard Park. So much for not rushing him back from the concussion he suffered in Arizona...