LOOK: UGA punter Marshall Long shares surgery story via Instagram

They’re not supposed to get hit, but punters can get injured just like any other football player.

UGA punter Marshall Long recently shared on Instagram that he will undergo a third surgery on his knee. The photo of Long using crutches is accompanied by a lengthy challenge in which he describes the mental and physical battle of dealing with multiple surgeries.

Long has had knee surgery in high school and his freshman season of college. He punted in nine games in the 2016 season, but redshirted last season while recovering from a dislocated knee cap.

As far as the Bulldogs’ roster and depth chart, Long’s announcement offers some insight as to why Georgia recently added Landon Stratton, a graduate transfer punter from FCS Murray State on Sunday.

Ever since my second knee surgery my freshman year in Athens, I’ve gone through dark times that have shown me depression and times where I felt there was no hope. My first instinct was to turn to worldly things that I might hopefully find peace and comfort, whether it was people, a weight room, or a party. While that gave me temporary relief, it would eventually fade. Within a week I had seen a failed relationship, really bad food poisoning(never eating at niche in Tate center again), a wrecked truck, and discovery of a third knee surgery that I needed. My heart was torn into what felt like 1000 pieces. I instantly started to blame God(who I wasn’t so sure was real or not). I felt this void in my heart that I can’t even begin to explain the pain and hurt it made me feel. I spent hours begging God if he was real to show me himself and his love that I desperately needed… and that’s exactly what he did! And in what felt like the darkest time in my life I’ve ever experienced, he poured his undeserving love out to me. A love and peace that I had never felt before. God began showing himself to me daily, to the point I would laugh because I knew it was God looking down saying “bro I told you I was real”. I thank God everyday he showed me those dark and tough days, so I would realize life wasn’t meant for me to go through alone and I needed him. I didn’t write all this in an effort to brag or just waste time typing, but to hopefully inspire and show someone who is in a tough and dark spot in life, that God wants to be there with you, and that dark times don’t have to be dark at all, they can be some of the most peaceful times in your life. While I’m far from perfect, I’m glad I found comfort in a perfect God and his perfect love. Now on to knee surgery recovery #3!

A post shared by Marshall Long (@marshalllong) on May 8, 2018 at 12:35pm PDT

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.