Web posted December 31, 1997

By Andy Johnston
Staff Writer

TAMPA, Fla. -- It appears Daniel Cobb's shoulder problems are more serious than first thought.

Cobb, a 6-foot-5 freshman quarterback who is being redshirted, likely will miss spring practice while recovering from surgery to correct Paget-Schroeder Syndrome, which is causing a blood clot in his right (throwing) shoulder.

Although Georgia officials currently are obtaining more opinions on Cobb's shoulder, Cobb said he likely will undergo surgery to remove his first rib in early February. Dr. Joseph Miller, of Atlanta's Emory University, said Cobb's rib is pinching a vein in his shoulder, causing swelling in his right hand. The procedure would require three months of rehabilitation.

``It's a simple surgery,'' said Cobb, who will compete with Jon England, Michael Usry, LaBrone Mitchell and possibly Quincy Carter for the starting quarterback job next fall. ``If I want to play, that seems the only way to do it.''

Georgia coach Jim Donnan is waiting until other doctors have a chance to examine the shoulder before falling back on surgery.

``We haven't reached the final verdict,'' Donnan said. ``We're going to get some different opinions and probably go with the one that will allow him to get well the quickest. There are a couple of possible solutions right now.''

Usry, a redshirt freshman, is listed as the No. 2 quarterback behind Mike Bobo, but he hasn't thrown a pass since a 47-0 victory over Mississippi State on Oct. 4. Usry is 4-for-7 for 54 yards, and England, a sophomore, is 3-for-5 for 27 yards.

Mitchell, like Cobb, is being redshirted and may be moved to wide receiver. The Bulldogs still are waiting on word whether Carter, a former All-American at Southwest DeKalb High, can join the team after signing with Georgia Tech two years ago. He has played baseball in the Chicago Cubs organization the past two years.

HINES GETS NOD: One looming question for Georgia in Thursday's Outback Bowl against Wisconsin was answered Tuesday when Hap Hines said he was told he will be the starting field-goal kicker.

How Hines responds to that opportunity will help answer a similar looming question about the Bulldogs' 1998 season.

Coach Jim Donnan had looked at both Hines and walk-on Chad Holleman for field goal duty in Thursday's Outback Bowl. Late in the regular season, consistent low kicks by Hines had forced Donnan to put punter Dax Langley in field-goal situations, but Langley also struggled.

BOBO SPEAKS: Bobo was asked if should have been out the night he was arrested in an Athens bar earlier this month. The misdemeanor charge of obstructing a police officer was dropped the following day.

``You've got to go ahead and live your life as a regular student,'' Bobo said. ``We had just had a hard practice and we weren't going to be doing much the next day at practice. Everybody went out like any other Athens student does, and really nobody was in town. You really can't help what happened. I just embarrassed my family. I just knew everything would work out because I really didn't do anything wrong.

``Like I've been telling people, I need to become a movie critic and just go watch a lot of movies. You really don't do anything, and for it to get blown up in the media and TV, it embarrassed my family and the program. It's really not worth it.''

TICKET SALES: The Outback Bowl selection committee's decision to invite Georgia and Wisconsin has paid off in terms of ticket sales.

Sales for Thursday's game (ESPN, 11 a.m.) are at 54,400 and already have surpassed the 53,161 for last year's game between Alabama and Michigan.

``We are well ahead of last year's mark,'' Outback Bowl executive director Jim McVay said, ``and we still have a few days left. There are still a lot of Wisconsin folks who have yet to buy tickets.''

The Outback Bowl record of 68,085 fans was set in 1990, when Auburn beat Ohio State 31-14.

``We feel good about where we are right now,'' McVay said. ``But it's hard to say whether ... we can get that kind of final number. We're fortunate that we have two teams that people want to see.''

The Associated Press contributed to this article.