FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: OL Strickland to miss 2009 season

By: TYLER ESTEP

Posted: 7/9/09

The string of bad luck on Georgia's offensive line grew a little longer Wednesday.

Guard Tanner Strickland, a redshirt sophomore, will have surgery to correct a right shoulder injury sustained during offseason workouts, and will miss the 2009 season, the Athletic Association's Claude Felton said in a release.

Strickland's name was mentioned frequently as a potential backup during spring practice, but he will have to wait at least one more year to make due on the praise.

Georgia's offensive line has been a weakness in recent years, but improved greatly over the course of the 2008 season as experience was gained by a group of young linemen. Left tackle Trinton Sturdivant will be back after missing all of last season after an ACL tear, and linemates Chris Davis, Josh Davis and Vince Vance are all recovering from injuries.

Wheeling given scholarship: On a more positive note, walk-on defensive tackle Brandon Wheeling, in his last year of eligibility after transferring from West Georgia, was given a scholarship Wednesday - a lifetime dream made even more important by the fact that Wheeling's father, a truck driver, was recently laid off.

"With the economy and everything right now, it was huge," said Wheeling, a Dallas native. "My dad had been laid off recently, so that was huge for my whole family … It's just huge right now. Money's tight with everybody."

Wheeling, a 6-foot-3, 277 pounder who did not play last year, was named Outstanding Walk-On for the defense following spring practice.

"It's just a dream come true," he said. "To be able to come here and earn a scholarship before I even really get to play, really shows what kind of potential it looks like I have. I'm really excited about them showing me that respect."

Roommate found: Matthew Stafford inked the most lucrative NFL rookie contract in history in April, signing for six years and $72 million with the Detroit Lions.

But that doesn't mean he hasn't been a little delinquent with the rent for his former homestead in Athens.

"I have to stay on him because up until the other day he still owed us some rent payments for himself," said Georgia fullback Fred Munzenmaier, one of Stafford's former roommates, laughing. "I definitely had to stay on him about that."

Munzenmaier's father owns the house that Stafford used to live in, and that Munzenmaier, fellow fullback Shaun Chapas and wide receiver Kris Durham still reside at.

As far as a new roommate for the fall goes, they've already found one - baseball player David Thoms.

"I think Fred knows him better than anybody," Chapas said. "We've hung out a couple times, and he's hilarious. He's a fun guy."

He went on to add this, stating the obvious: "He's got some big shoes to fill."

Tailback Carlton Thomas said last week that Chapas and Munzenmaier, both redshirt juniors, have been leading all the running backs, a young and inexperienced bunch, in meetings and drills this summer.

They say it was just something that needed to be done.

"The simplest way to put it is we're the oldest guys in the meeting room now, so we know the routine, so we just let those guys come to us, and if they need anything we let them know," Munzenmaier said. "I work out in the early group and Chapas works out in the later group, so we just lead our younger guys and make sure they know what they're supposed to do."

That said, though, the young stable seems to be plenty motivated by itself.

"They're definitely dedicated," Munzenmaier said. "If you ask them to stay out there after we're doing working out, they don't complain about it, they get out there and do it."

While it was pretty easy to find a roommate to replace Stafford (after finally getting his rent), both fullbacks balked at predicting which tailback they would be predominantly blocking for come fall.

"I have no idea," Chapas said. "But whoever it is they're going to deserve it."