ATHENS — Mark Richt normally doesn’t give out much information. Wednesday, he may have given out too much.
Richt chatted and laughed with the room of media about a very personal matter: His prostate.
After he was asked about his 15-year tenure with the Bulldogs, the Georgia head coach talked about reaching the empty-nesting phase of life with his wife, Katharyn, and how his health had become more important, which included a prostate exam earlier that day.
Richt, 55, said he felt comfortable talking about it because September is “Prostate Cancer Awareness month.” Each weekend a different SEC school will wear a sticker on their helmet noting the month and honoring former SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the late 1990s. Georgia will wear the sticker for the South Carolina game on Sept. 19.
Richt said he, basketball coach Mark Fox and baseball coach Scott Stricklin had recently taped a promotional video about having regular exams after 50. It was during that taping he realized he hadn’t gotten one himself.
“I knew I better get on this thing,” Richt said, grinning.