Georgia football coach Kirby Smart went on the record on Friday to defend the program’s culture amid recent turmoil stemming from a January crash that killed a Bulldogs player and staffer.
“Absolutely not. I would say we’re far from it,” Smart told ESPN’s Mark Schlabach on Friday when asked if he believed the program had a culture problem. “When you talk to people outside our program that come into it, they talk about what a great culture we do have—and we do an incredible job. Because I’ve got a lot of outside entities that come into our program and pour into these young men.
“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. And I feel really good about the culture within our program.”
In mid-January following the program’s national title win over TCU, offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy were killed in a car crash. Earlier this week, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, one of the nation’s top prospects heading into next month’s NFL draft, had an arrest warrant issued to him for reckless driving and racing in connection to the incident that killed Willock and LeCroy.
Carter met the warrant in Athens and was booked late Wednesday night. He posted $4,000 bail and was released that same evening.
The fatal crash and Carter’s arrest haven’t been the only recent legal situations that Georgia players have been involved with in recent months. Linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson was arrested last week on misdemeanor racing and reckless driving charges. In late January, quarterback Stetson Bennett was arrested for public intoxication in Dallas.
Despite it all, Smart backed the program’s culture on Friday.
“I mean, there [are] laws in place for these things, to prevent it for a reason,” Smart said. “And we want to educate our players in every way, every part of our organization. We’re constantly looking for a better way in whatever that is, health and safety included. I talked about drugs and alcohol, talked about gambling, talked about racing in cars and high speeds. You have to educate your players and you have to make sure they understand the risks and dangers of that, and that’s something that we’ve tried to do.”
Smart, who has won back-to-back national championships with the Bulldogs, will attempt to move forward in the best way possible despite disappointment and heartache following a season of excitement and success on the football field.
