ATLANTA — It's a sort of homecoming for former UGA quarterback Aaron Murray.
The SEC's all-time leading passer (13,166 yards, 121 TDs) signed with the Alliance of American Football on Tuesday; and as part of league rules, Murray has been allocated to the Atlanta franchise bearing the 'Legends' nickname.
He'll also be eligible for the league's 'Protect Or Pick' draft (Nov. 27), which gives clubs the option of keeping an 'allocated' selection, like Murray, or supplanting the asset for another quarterback.
According to the AAF, more than 50 quarterbacks will be available for the 'Protect or Pick' showcase.
A fifth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft (Chiefs), Murray bounced around with the Eagles, Cardinals and Rams over the next three seasons. In Kansas City, Murray formed a strong bond with offensive mind Brad Childress, also the new head coach of the ATL Legends.
A four-year starter at Georgia, Murray led the Dawgs to consecutive SEC East titles in 2011 and '12. If UGA had knocked off Alabama in the 2012 SEC title game (last-second thriller), the school would have reached the final championship game of the BCS era.
The AAF currently has an eight-team setup, with eight prominent names (NFL/college football) directing each franchise.
For the foursome in the East (Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, Orlando), the clubs will feature Brad Childress, Tim Lewis, Mike Singletary and Steve Spurrier as respective head coaches; and for the West (Arizona, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego), the leaders will be Rick Neuheisel, Dennis Erickson, Mike Riley and Mike Martz.
The AAF season begins right after the Super Bowl (February 2019) and ends midway through April of next year.
