ATHENS, Ga. — Blake Anderson doesn’t want it to be about him.
Yet it’s impossible to ignore his pain.
When No. 3 Georgia hosts Anderson’s Arkansas State team on Saturday, the game will come with a stark dose of real life.
Anderson’s wife, Wendy, died on Aug. 19 after a two-year battle with breast cancer.
She was just 49.
“I can’t even begin to fathom or understand what he’s gone through,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “When I first heard the news, I was crushed for him, his family, his kids. I can never imagine what he’s having to go through because that’s really tough.
“Obviously, he loves family because he made the choice to step away and was able to go be with them. And now he’s come back.”
Anderson took a leave of absence shortly before his wife’s death.
He missed the season-opening loss to SMU— didn’t even watch it on TV, in fact — but made a last-minute decision to rejoin the Red Wolves before last Saturday’s game at UNLV,
Surprising his players when he walked into the hotel just hours before kickoff, Anderson’s return clearly inspired his Sun Belt Conference squad. The Red Wolves (1-1) romped to a 43-17 victory, their largest margin over a FBS non-conference opponent since 2011.
“I had mixed emotions,” Anderson said. “I didn’t really make the decision to go until early, early in the morning. I didn’t want to be a distraction to the guys.”
No problem there.
The Red Wolves responded to his return with a stellar performance.
“I wanted to be uplifting,” Anderson said. “We’ve been apart for a while. I struggled with whether or not to go. At the end of the day, I decided if there was an ounce of energy I could bring to the table, now is the time to go. My kids were pushing me out the door and saying, ‘Dad, you need to go.’ I’m glad I did. It was an unbelievable night.”
There’s no doubt that he’ll be on the sideline for Saturday’s game at newly christened Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. Georgia has encouraged its fans to wear pink in honor of Anderson’s late wife.
“Beyond grateful,” Anderson tweeted when he learned of Georgia’s plans. “Thank you.”