Aaron Murray is a former UGA quarterback who played for the Dawgs from 2010-2013. He led UGA’s offense with his strong arm, leadership, and competitive play, setting numerous school and SEC records. After UGA, Murray was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft and went on to pursue a career in professional football and sports media. He currently serves as a lead color commentator and analyst for the SEC Network primetime broadcast crew.
What was your favorite moment ever playing for UGA?
My favorite moment playing for UGA was the 2013 LSU game. It wasn’t even just the game itself because the game was absolutely incredible but I was lucky enough to be part of a lot of really exciting games during my time at Georgia. It was after the game. Everyone in that stadium just wanted to stay there. We didn’t want to go in the locker room and fans didn’t want to go home. It was just one of those really special afternoons that I’ll always remember. Like I said, the game was super exciting, but that energy and love for Georgia football afterwards was electric.
What’s your take on this year’s UGA football team?
It’s one of the best coaching staffs, if not the best coaching staff in college football, there’s no doubt about it. Kirby’s staff is unbelievable, and everyone knows how I feel about Coach Bobo. Love Coach Bobo. Schumann does a tremendous job on coaching the fundamentals, everything.
I think the offense is in great shape right now. Running backs, I’m excited about that group, but it really starts with the offensive line. I think this could be one of the best offensive lines in the SEC, and that’s what Kirby wants, and I know that Bobo wants that too — run the football, be able to play action pass, wear teams down, and that’s where it’s gonna start. Tight ends will be elite. I think the receivers are pretty darn good. They’re just a little bit green, but those guys will continue to mature. I thought there was a good portion of the season that Gunner was playing as good as anyone else in the country. The legs were absolutely terrific. I thought he matured as a passer as the season went along. I think the guys around him this year are better than they were a year ago. That’s gonna help Gunner feel more comfortable. The tight ends, the running backs, the offensive line, the receivers — everything around him is going to be elevated, so you should see an elevated portion of his game as well.
Tell us about your involvement in ESP (Extra Special People).
I’ve been a part of Extra Special People since 2009, 2010, when I first got to Georgia, and I just fell in love with the individuals there and learning that everyone has an ability. We don’t like to use the word disability. We have to make sure everyone knows that everyone has an ability. And ESP really allows all individuals and that ability to shine.
Laura Whitaker, the CEO, has done a terrific job. It has just been a true blessing to myself and my family. We’ve hosted our seventh annual charity golf tournament this past summer. I’m on the national board. I’ve been a part of their Big Hearts pageant as an escort for the kids onto the stage, and I’ve also emceed it for the past five or six years. It’s just amazing to see how much they have grown, not only serving individuals in Athens, but we’re in Atlanta, Savannah, Rome and High Point, North Carolina.
Tell us about Red Zone Advantage and developing leaders under pressure.
During my time at Georgia, I was in the doctoral program for industrial and organizational psychology and really was fascinated with the study of leadership, team building and teamwork. I did a lot of studying of leaders, especially quarterbacks in the NFL, and did a 360 survey project in which I assessed myself as a leader, my teammates assessed me and my coaching staff assessed me, all working to find ways that I could better serve my football team heading into my junior season. About eight months ago, I met back up with my former professor and we decided to team up. With my background as an athlete playing at a high level in college and NFL and his background as a doctor in the studies of leadership, I think it’s a really cool marriage. We hope to be able to bring knowledge in the space of leadership and teamwork to companies, football teams, or any athletics teams going forward.
Speaking of developing leaders, we see you showing your son by example in your Ironman training. Tell us about parenting and your training together.
I was very fortunate as a kid. I had two amazing parents who really took the time and did everything the right way and just were great examples for me to live a good, faithful life, a servant-style life in which you put others first. My wife and I want to also set a good example.
Hard work is the number one thing that my son has learned over the past year. It’s all about just putting in the time, and it’s not going to happen immediately. He wants to take his training wheels off and the next moment he’s going for a bike ride. Well, it doesn’t work like that. It takes practice, it takes reps … just slowly chip away at it. And two weeks later, he’s biking without the training wheels, and we’re going for a 10-mile bike ride together now. It’s been so enjoyable to show him that hard work pays off, that you gotta stick with it. And like Kirby Smart said, just keep chopping wood. If you keep chopping that wood every single day, you can achieve so much in your life. He just competed in his second triathlon, and he got better from the first one to the second one. He’s loving it. I’m just happy that he’s happy.