A little over a month ago, Colquitt County Head Coach Rush Propst was suspended for a year due to a head-butt in a playoff game last season. Propst appealed and was able to continue working with his team and preparing for next season. As if The Packers didn’t have enough distractions, like replacing 40 seniors and prepping for a tough schedule, now this.

Usually the appeal process can take quite some time. Over a year, in fact. However, it was announced last week that the Georgia Professional Standards Commission dropped the suspension completely and instead it resulted in a reprimand.

I spoke with Propst about the matter this week.

He wasn’t interested in going into details on the situation, but he's thankful that it’s behind him.

“I am relieved and very appreciative of the attorney general’s office and the board to overturn the suspension,” Propst said in a phone interview Tuesday. “I want to apologize for anything that put a damper on our community,” he added.

Now, he’s able to sigh a breath of relief and completely dedicate the entirety of his thoughts to his team and prepare them for a tough season. And looking back on the matter, Propst expressed sincere gratitude for being able to do what he loves every day.

“I’m very appreciative to be allowed to coach. I don’t know that I’ve ever been in a place (Moultrie, GA) that’s been more rabid with fans and loved the game of football like it does,” he continued.

Even though he didn’t have much to say on the issue, he admitted that it did kind of put a wet blanket on the success they’ve achieved the last two years. “I hated to put a damper on the greatness of what we’ve done here for the last several years. That’s where I sorta, that it bothers me.”
When I asked him what was involved with overturning the suspension, he said “I simply don’t know. I just know that I got a phone call that said it had been overturned.”

The success the Packers have had on the field is great, but it nearly pales in comparison to the success he’s experienced in the lives of young men over the last few years. “About 95% of our kids that have signed since I’ve been here have been first generation college students,” he said.
His biggest challenge now is getting his team ready for this season’s uphill battle, beginning with a grueling schedule that starts on August 20th when the Packers replay their semifinal game from last season against Mill Creek.