Kirby Smart Insists Georgia Is Penalizing Players for Arrests

The defending national champions have had several players arrested in recent months.

While Georgia prepares for the upcoming football season as the two-time defending national champion, the Bulldogs have dealt with a variety of off-the-field issues. Several times this year, Georgia players have been arrested or cited in regard to driving incidents, including suspicion of DUI.

The issues began when former offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy died in a car crash in January in an incident that led to former defensive lineman Jalen Carter getting charged for street racing. Since then, linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, wide receiver De’Nylon Morrissette and wideout Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint have been arrested for vehicle-related offenses.

Speaking at the SEC meetings in Destin, Fla., on Tuesday, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart assured the media that his program is dealing with the incidents, although he declined to get into specifics.

“Everybody wants to know what the punishment is. Well, the players know what the punishment is,” Smart said, via The Athletic’s Seth Emerson. “And that’s important for our guys to acknowledge that and understand it. But I want to educate further, I want to make sure they understand.”

Smart also mentioned he plans to continue educating his team in many different off-the-field areas.

“We’ve got a lot more education things lined up to come (on speeding),” Smart said. “But it’s not just about that. It’s about everything that they can get into, in terms of gambling, drugs and alcohol, treatment of the opposite sex. We have a ton of speakers during our summer circuit program. We’ve ramped that up. But we’ll do all we can to curtail (speeding).”

With his statements Tuesday, Smart reiterated what he said about the Bulldogs’ culture in March, when he vehemently defended his program.

“Do we have perfect young men and women and players? Not necessarily. But I promise you this, that’s the intent … for us to grow these guys and get them better,” he said at the time. “And I feel really good about the culture within our program.”