Give Kirby Smart time to clean up arrests he might
Georgia coach Kirby Smart knows his numbers and didnt
Garett Bolles Jersey back away from those numbers Tuesday at SEC Media Days.The first-year coach rattled off the stats. He knows 63 percent of his roster is comprised of sophomores or le s. He knows 42 percent of the games in the SEC are decided by a TD or le s.MORE:|He also knows anyrecent light on the program focused on the eight offseason arrests involving five players, the latest coming with defensive linemen Jonathan Ledbetter beingarrested for the this summer. Chad Clay and Chauncey Rivers were dismi sed from the team after their own encounters with the law. Georgia teams in offseason arrests. Smarts role in a restrictingopen records request this offseason also was criticized.Yet Smart didnt hide anything Tuesday. He knows the problem exists.I think certainly it's an i sue, Smart said when asked about the player behavior. Anytime you have these i sues, you have to put things in place within your program to help your players every way po sible. We want to help and a sist those guys.We've
DeMarcus Ware Jersey had five guys that have been arrested; two are no longer with us. I hate that for them, but our team has moved on. Its very important that we dont make the same mistakes twice.MORE: For somebody who learned from Alabama coach Nick Saban and said he knows the difference between a team and a program, how Smart fixes thisi sue might be the defining moment for his first year at Georgia, even if it inevitably gets washed outin wins and lo ses. Player behavior is still the No. 1 problem in college football, and eight arrests in one season area problem. Left unchecked, you
Calvin Anderson Jersey end up with a situation like Baylor.One po sible explanation is the first-year factor in replacing former coach Mark Richt, though Georgia had its share of before Smarts arrival. Its not an epidemic on the level of say, Texas, where had 29 players leave and 10 dismi sals heading into the spring from the time he took over in 2013. Strong cleaned up the program, even if it hasnt shown up in the record column.MORE: Smartsaid the transition from Richt isnt an i sue, though."I respect the man that he is and respect what he stands for. I don't think it's a competition between Coach Richt and I to win over this team, Smart said. I think you earn that with the way you behave and the way you perform."For Smart, that also comes in the way he recruits. Smart said he recruited several players on Georgias roster during his time at Alabama,
Melvin Gordon III Jersey and he was asked about the Bulldogs momentum on the recruiting trail. Georgia currently has the No. 2 cla s behind Ohio State, according to ."It's a continuous proce s, so many people get caught up in rankings and where you are and the momentum you have, Smart said. I think all that's great. At the end of the day, you have to go out on the gra s and perform."MORE: Georgia shouldnt have a problem with that. The Bulldogs are always on the hunt in the SEC, even if they are still looking for that first national championship since 1980. Thats a stat Smart also likelyknows. Thats why hes in Athens.He saidtheres more to it than that, and despite those eight arrests, its OK to give Smart some time to deliver on that promise. If we weretalking about those same mistakes twice i.e. in this same spot last year then thatda real problem."It's a lot more important to get quality young men and good student-athletes that can be succe sful at the University of Georgia,
Mike Boone Jersey Smart said. Thats my No. 1 goal.