Georgia Football: The fight of the dawg
By Ashley Espie
UGA Athletics Director of Sports Medicine Ron Courson is an unsung hero of the Georgia football, basketball and other athletic teams.
Ron Courson is an often overlooked but crucial part of the Georgia football program. As the head athletic trainer, Courson’s actions have a huge impact on the football team.
From helping Nick Chubb and Zamir White recover from ACL injuries to catching Dwan Mathis’s cyst on his brain and making sure Devon Gales received exceptional care, Courson has always put the player before the game. However, Courson has also made a point to reach out and help fans as well.
Bella Holbrooks is one such fan. Now twelve years old, Bella “had a very rough start to life” according to her father Jason Holbrooks.
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Bella was born three months premature and weighed only 14.9 ounces. She spent four long months in the neonatal intensive care unit before being allowed to come home. However, Bella never let those challenges slow her down. Her father said, “She proved from the start, she had the fight of the ‘dawg.’”
Sometime last year, Ron Courson heard Bella’s story and wanted to do something special for her. He invited Bella and her dad to attend the final 2019 spring practice before G-Day. It was an exciting day for both of them.
Bella and her father were able to stand on the sidelines of the indoor practice field and watch practice. Some of the players even came over to give her a high-five throughout practice. After practice, head nutritionist Collier Perno lead Bella to the snack station outside the locker room so she could help with their after practice fuel-up. Bella “absolutely loved” being able to serve the players their post-practice shakes and snacks.
Afterwards, the whole team signed a helmet that Bella brought. Coach Kirby Smart and several players also took time for pictures, including Monty Rice and Dwan Mathis.
Bella was also able to meet two of her favorite players, Jake Fromm and Ben Cleveland. While Fromm is her favorite, Ben Cleveland also has a special place in Bella’s heart since he grew up on the same road as her, only eight houses down from her.
Thanks to Ron Courson, Bella and her dad had an unforgettable experience, celebrating Bella’s fighting spirit and heart of a dawg.
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