Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray played one of the worst games of his career Saturday against South Carolina, but that disappointment meant little compared to the news he received in the game's aftermath.
Murray was told Sunday that his father, Dennis, had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Murray's parents knew about the diagnosis for a few weeks, but waited until this past weekend to share it with their three children.
"Probably the worst 12 hours of my life but I know my family will push through. Keep my dad in your prayers please," Murray tweeted Sunday.
Dennis Murray had surgery Monday morning at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. Murray and his brother, Josh, drove down to Tampa on Sunday night to be there.
And, according to a post by the family on Facebook, there were no complications with the surgery. Dennis is expected to be able to return home on Wednesday, Oct. 10.
Murray was 11-for-31 passing with 109 yards and an interception in the Bulldogs' 35-7 loss to the Gamecocks. It was just the fifth time in his career he failed to throw a touchdown pass. Though he dealt with enough difficulty in the game, the struggles at home carry far more weight. In addition to his father's health, Murray's residence in Athens, Ga., was reportedly vandalized after the South Carolina game. His teammate, linebacker Christian Robinson, shares the house with Murray and tweeted out that they had been "egged and rolled."
"Sometimes that comes with the territory," coach Mark Richt said of the negative feedback in his weekly teleconference. "You're a public figure and people get upset about things. It's sad something like that would happen, but it's not shocking people get criticism or something like that happened to them when they're in the type (of) position those guys are in, especially the quarterback position."
Georgia's athletic department has not made a statement on Dennis Murray's health.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
