At this point, Georgia fans have heard this story far too many times. Two additional Georgia football players were arrested on various vehicular counts and are suspended indefinitely.
This brings the overall number of traffic-related arrests and incidents to more than 20, dating back to January 2023, when offensive lineman Devin Willock and UGA staffer Chandler LeCroy were murdered in a car accident – a trend Kirby Smart hoped would end this year.
However, the arrests of Nitro Tuggle and Marques Easley suggest that it may be time for Kirby Smart to drop the kid gloves and take a harsh approach to punishing his players who choose to do dumb things behind the wheel.
This is not an accusation against Smart in any way. The Georgia head football coach has taught, scolded, and pleaded with his players not to drive recklessly or under the influence. He has suspended and fined players in an attempt to reduce the number of incidents, but it has been unsuccessful.
Kirby Smart has to get folks over the program.It may be time for Smart to adopt a zero-tolerance policy and educate these young men that playing football for Georgia is a privilege that may be easily revoked. The simple announcement that any player detained and charged with any traffic-related charges other than a parking ticket will be immediately dismissed from the team, backed up by action to demonstrate he is not making empty threats, will rapidly put an end to this deadly problem.
Could a measure like this cost Georgia a crucial player and have a detrimental impact on their season? Without a doubt, but Kirby Smart’s concern for the lives and well-being of these players, as well as other drivers, must be at the forefront of his mind.
The arrests and incidents are not merely a terrible look for the program; as demonstrated by the tragic example of Willock and LeCroy, they constitute a threat to human life, and an incident could someday kill an innocent bystander or another driver.
Nobody likes to see athletes fired from the Georgia football program, but it’s better to watch them play football somewhere else than Kirby Smart attending a trial or memorial service. The deaths that this school has already experienced are enough. Georgia generally recruits good youngsters. However, youthful exuberance may become a drug in and of itself, and the leadership and tough love of a renowned football coach like Kirby Smart may be just what’s required to pull a kid back down to earth and teach him to make better choices.
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