The Georgia Bulldogs have been great on the field since Kirby Smart took over as head coach, but off the field has been a far different story.
Since January 2022, more than 10 Bulldogs have been arrested; and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that in Smart’s seven-year tenure, women have come forward and accused 11 players of some form of abuse. Incoming freshman defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett was not charged but was investigated in connection with a sexual assault claim during a visit to Georgia when he was 16 years old, and it was reported that Jarrett missed curfew and had been drinking that night as well.
Former linebacker Adam Anderson, who was charged in connection with with separate rape incidents, entered a plea deal in July, pleading down two felony rape charges to misdemeanor sexual battery with a maximum of 12 months of jail time.
Driving-related offenses have been a major issue for Georgia during Smart’s tenure. In fact, there have been over 300 driving offenses since Smart took over the program.
The most notable of the above-mentioned issues is the tragic car crash that included Jalen Carter, who was cited with reckless driving for “drag racing” with the other vehicle that eventually crashed. The crash took the lives UGA recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy, whose blood alcohol limit was .197, and offensive lineman Devin Willock.
In March, Georgia Bulldogs RB Trevor Etienne was arrested for DUI and reckless driving. His probable one-game suspension adds to the increasingly lawless image of coach Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs program. Georgia continues to play with a fire that is reminiscent of Florida’s Urban Meyer era.
Georgia policy calls for a 10 percent of the schedule suspension for players arrested on DUI. In Etienne’s case, that should amount to one game, the season opener against Clemson. Georgia won’t commit to anything until the legal process plays out. But words such as “consequences” have been tossed out in appeasement attempts. This normally means there won’t be much in the way of consequences at all.
Previously, Football team members who have been arrested on such charges have been suspended for games. However, Smart has not confirmed those suspensions until after the games.
Two Georgia Bulldogs Football Players Arrested On Separate Reckless Driving Charges This Week
On Thursday morning, it was announced that two Georgia football players were arrested for reckless driving, one of which was also charged with racing, first reported by UGAsports.com.
Offensive lineman Bo Hughley was involved in a single-car accident and the incident included failure to maintain lane and reckless driving. Linebacker Smael Mondon was also charged with reckless driving and racing. The two incidents were not connected and were separate.
The booking information shows Mondon was charged with reckless driving and racing on highways/streets and released on cash bond amounts totaling $26 after about an hour and a half. Hughley was arrested for reckless driving and failure to maintain lane/improper driving on the road and also released on bonds totaling $26 after about an hour and a half.
The two Georgia Bulldogs football players were arrested by separate agencies — Mondon by Athens-Clarke County Police, and Hughley by University of Georgia Police.
The two arrests are the latest in a string of driving-related citations and arrests involving the Georgia football program.
“I’m disappointed any time we have traffic incidents,” Coach Kirby Smart said last year on the issue. “What concerns me most is the safety of our players and when you drive at high speeds, it’s unsafe, and we don’t want that to happen.”
The Georgia Bulldogs enter the 2024 season once again as one of the top teams in the country, but regardless of how they perform on the field, this disturbing trend within Smart’s program can’t be ignored.
