Georgia leader is back on field

ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley was back in practice Tuesday - though only on a limited basis - just three days after a sprained knee kept him out of a loss to Florida.

Shockley, wearing a green noncontact jersey and a brace on his left knee, did not participate in the scrimmage portion of the practice. The senior reported no soreness after working in other drills.

"He looked pretty good. He's a natural born leader, and he was leading out there," said backup quarterback Joe Tereshinski III, who filled in as the starter in Saturday's 14-10 loss to the Gators.

Tereshinski said he still took most of the snaps with the first-team offense Tuesday, but Shockley is expected to start in No. 11 Georgia's next game against No. 17 Auburn on Nov. 12.

Having Shockley back so early in Georgia's off week was a surprise.

"Last week the timetable for me was to come back out more at the end of the week, so it's been a little ahead of schedule," Shockley said.

Shockley said he has struggled to adjust to the knee brace. He says he has been fitted for two types of braces and expects to try the second version next week.

"Right now they are saying I'll wear the brace for the rest of the year, just for precautionary reasons," he said.

Shockley said last week when he was first fitted for the brace he didn't know how he would ever adjust to the bulky protective device, but he said he felt more comfortable Tuesday.

"You've got to crawl before you can walk," he said, adding he was "gradually working my lateral movement back."

The return of Shockley to practice likely was one reason Coach Mark Richt said the players were surprisingly upbeat.

"It really wasn't bad at all," Richt said of the mood at practice. "They actually cheered me up a little bit."

Richt said Shockley "probably could have been out there for the whole thing" in practice.

Because Tuesday was the first day Shockley has tested the knee in football drills, the next question will be how the knee responds. Barring any setbacks, he should receive a full clearance next week and start against Auburn.