Georgia Coach Says Bulldogs NIL Collective Is 'Fining' Players

With a spate of driving violations, Georgia coach Kirby Smart told reporters that the program’s collectives are dishing out punishments.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart talks with Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) during a football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart stepped to the microphone on Tuesday at SEC Media Days in Dallas to talk about a host of topics related to his football team.

One of those was about the program’s recent arrests, most notably for driving violations.

According to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Georgia football players have been involved in 24 driving-related violations. Those can include DUI, reckless driving or speeding.

Most notably, a car crash in January of 2023 killed Georgia player Devin Willock and staff member Chandler LeCroy. Police found that LeCroy had been drinking and racing with then-player Jalen Carter.

Since then, seven more Georgia players have been arrested for those violations, and per The Athletic at least two players could face suspension to start the season — running back Trevor Etienne (DUI) and linebacker Smael Mondon (reckless driving, racing).

It’s a problem and Smart acknowledges it, but he also told reporters that one of the program’s collectives is actually doing something about it.

The Classic City Collective supports Georgia sports, and Smart said the collective is fining players for the violations.

"Our Classic City Collective for over a year has been substantially fining guys for those things," he said. "That's not something that's new. That’s something that's been ongoing outside of my jurisdiction that they decided to implement and have done to a considerable amount."

Smart did not elaborate on the amount of the fines, but to this point, they haven’t curtailed the incidents.

Th two-time national champion head coach said he’s trying to walk a fine line between punishment and education. He told reporters he’s not certain, but he believes his program is one of the few that suspends players for traffic violations, referencing the suspension of receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint for a speeding arrest. He’s also had his players take defensive driving courses.

He added that he’s written down every time he’s talked to his players about this issue and says he’s mentioned it 162 times. He said the fines have been “substantial” and that he hopes it makes his players “think twice about the mistakes you make.”

Georgia has been one of the top teams in the country since Smart took over as head coach before the 2016 season. He is 94-16 for his career and has led the Bulldogs on a three-year run in which it went 42-2, won back-to-back national titles and SEC titles in 2021-22.