Tide’s Davidson moving forward after death of girlfriend

TUSCALOOSA | For nearly two weeks now, Jermareo Davidson has had mornings when he would wake up and wish that everything that happened to him -- and those close to him -- was just a bad dream.

Instead, it’s been a reality that the University of Alabama basketball team’s star center has had to deal with, gradually.

“It’s been pretty tough," Davidson admits. “I just don’t know how to get back to normal. I still don’t know how. I just realize that I can only keep moving forward."

It’s been two weeks since Davidson and his girlfriend, UA athletic training student Brandy Nicole Murphy, were in Atlanta, making the 400-mile trip in order to lend support to Davidson’s brother, who was in an Atlanta hospital with a serious gunshot wound.

While driving on an Atlanta interstate on Saturday, Nov. 18, Murphy, according to the accident report, was forced off the road by a convoy of vans. She swerved, losing control of the vehicle. She was ejected from the vehicle, and died of her injuries. Davidson, a passenger, suffered no serious physical injuries, but has been dealing with Murphy’s death ever since, attending her funeral last Friday.

Since then, he says, his brother’s condition has improved, at least to the point where he is in stable condition.

He joined his team in the Virgin Islands for the final two games in the Paradise Jam tournament last week, and admits that getting away from the familiar sights of Tuscaloosa “kind of helped" under the circumstances.

Davidson scored a double-double in both of his two games in St. Thomas, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds against Iowa and adding a 10-point, 12-rebound effort against Xavier in the championship game.

Upon returning to Tuscaloosa, though, Davidson once again had to sort through a wave of emotions.

“I’m still dealing with being back here, just being reminded of her presence," Davidson said

The steady routine of playing and practicing basketball does help, he said, as does the concern of his teammates.

“They just tell me they are there for me," Davidson said. “There’s nothing anybody can really do, but they are doing a good job of keeping my mind off of everything."

“It’s been great for him to be back around his teammates," Tide head coach Mark Gottfried said on Friday

“Obviously, it’s been great for our team, too," Gottfried said. “Just having him show up in St. Thomas gave our team a lift emotionally. It goes without saying that when one of your better players comes back from being out, you’re a better team. But it’s about more than that. It’s good for our team to be around him and see him getting through this tragic time."

Gottfried knows that recovering from grief can be a long process, however.

“We’ve talked a few times with Jermareo since we got back and we will continue to do so throughout the year," Gottfried said. “We know he may still have some ups and downs, but he’s got a great support system here, and that’s the main thing."

Davidson said that basketball also gives him a positive way to remain in touch with his brother, and with the memory of his girlfriend.

“I know that both of them would want me to continue playing," Davidson said. “They both wanted to see me do great things in basketball. They would always tell me not to quit, and to keep in good spirits. That’s not something I have to guess about. It’s something I know for a fact."

ALABAMA WILL be back in action tonight, hosting Texas Southern (1-3) at Coleman Coliseum. The game will begin at 6 p.m.

Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil.hurt@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0225.