At SEC Media Days, Kirby Smart again addresses Georgia football player driving arrests

DALLAS—The headline from a year ago at Georgia football 's appearance at SEC Media Days in Nashville still applied Tuesday morning as coach Kirby Smart and three players took their turn here.

'Things need to change': Georgia football players address offseason high-speed incidents .

The Bulldogs actions behind the wheel became front and center again when two players were arrested for reckless driving and another was cited for racing.

It’s the kind of preseason buzz that a program widely viewed as the preseason No. 1 team doesn’t need.

Georgia has had at least 25 arrests or citations for speeding, reckless driving or racing since the fatal crash of Jan. 15, 2023 that killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy. Police said high speed and alcohol factored into the crash after LeCroy and now Philadelphia Eagle Jalen Carter were racing.

Five Georgia players are known to have been arrested or cited for driving related issues since March 24 when Florida transfer running back Trevor Etienne was jailed. He was charged with DUI which was dismissed last week. He also plead no contest to reckless driving and guilty to failure to maintain lane, underage possession of alcohol and a window tint violation.

Freshman running back Sacovie White, who was arrested for reckless driving and driving the wrong way on a one street on May 18, was also cited by the Georgia Department of Public Safety for speeding in Dahlonega on March 30 for going 69 in a 55.

Senior linebacker Smael Mondon and freshman defensive back Demello Jones were charged with racing Wednesday and Mondon with reckless driving. Offensive lineman Bo Hughley was arrested for reckless driving for a an incident a day earlier when he had a single-vehicle crash.

“The incidents that we’ve had off the field are not something that we condone,” Smart said Tuesday. “It’s very unfortunate, disappointing I guess is the best word. I always talk about process and outcomes. I talked about that with wins and losses that we try not to base things on the outcomes with wins and losses. In this situation, the outcomes are very disappointing.”

Smart said backup safety David Daniel-Sisavanh has been dismissed from the team.

He only said that was for “a violation of team rules," but also added "it's repeated behaviors that will get you dismissed, repeated poor behaviors and poor decisions."

His Feb. 24 charge by Georgia Department of Public Safety for reckless driving in Atlanta when he made multiple lane changes at high speed and led police on a pursuit came to light last week.

Smart said players that are charged with driving offenses face "substantial" fine in NIL payments by the Classic City Collective. He said that's gone on over for more than a year.

He called that "outside of my jurisdiction that they decided to do." He said the amount of the fines will "make you think twice about the mistakes you've made."

He indicated suspensions are coming but he didn’t say whether Etienne or Mondon will face that type of discipline.

“We’ll have suspensions coming out of some of these,” he said. “I think everybody wants to know, what game and are they suspended? ... As far as I know, there’s not one team in the country that’s ever suspended a player for traffic violations. That’s what Marcus Rosemy got suspended for (last year)."

Smart said Georgia is "searching," to find the best ways to get the message to players.

"I still think the best way is proactive, not reactive," Smart said.

He said the issues have been discussed in meetings 162 times as of Tuesday.

“Our process and the things we put in place, I feel very strongly about," he said. "We do as much or more education as anybody in the country.”

Besides having speakers talk to the team on the dangers of high-speed driving and having defensive driving courses, Georgia also offers six-hour driving sessions for those that just got licenses.

"We're implementing that to a lot of our guys that requested it or we think need it," Smart said.

Quarterback Carson Beck has received plenty of attention for driving a Lamborghini.

“Let’s clarify I don’t like fast cars, I like cars,” Beck said Tuesday. “Obviously, my car is fast, 100 percent, but I don’t drive like an idiot.”

Smart said he didn’t want to name players who are suspended ahead of time.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s right to go down to the town square and publicly shame kids,” Smart said. “When that happens, they go through a lot. And there’s a lot of remorse from these young men who’ve made mistakes. But our job is to educate. Continue to grow these young men.”

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: At SEC Media Days, Kirby Smart again addresses Georgia football player driving arrests