UGA’s Trenton Thompson withdraws from school
Georgia defensive tackle Trenton Thompson, who set a Liberty Bowl record in December with three sacks of TCU quarterback Kenny Hill, is withdrawing from school after a medical scare early Tuesday morning.
The 6-foot-4, 309-pounder was spotted by university police wandering along River Road near Carlton Street in Athens. According to the police report, Thompson “appeared very unsteady on his feet” and “appeared to have burst capillaries in both corners of his eyes.”
Thompson did not react normally to light, according to the report, and he told the officer he played football for the Bulldogs but could not recall what position. The officer then called emergency personnel, and Thompson was taken immediately to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and released.
The university, after receiving approval from Thompson’s family, released a statement Thursday afternoon.
“Trenton has been dealing with a significant medical issue which required emergency hospitalization and an extended hospital stay,” the statement read. “Trenton was recently discharged from the hospital and remains under close medical care. With respect to last night’s incident, the physical appearance and behavior described in the UGA PD report is solely related to an adverse reaction to medications prescribed specifically for his medical condition.”
The statement went on to say that toxicology tests performed at the hospital were negative for OxyContin and that no more information will be released at this time due to federal privacy laws. It concluded with the announcement that Thompson is withdrawing from school because of the medical issues.
Thompson was the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2015 signing class out of Albany, Ga., according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings. As a sophomore this past season, he racked up 56 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss, and his performance in Memphis earned him MVP honors.