Kirby Smart comments on the status of Javon Bullard following arrest

Following news that Georgia defensive back Javon Bullard was arrested on Sunday morning and charged with seven misdemeanor counts including DUI, coach Kirby Smart addressed Bullard’s status on Monday.

Bullard had been credited with 18 tackles and a pass deflection so far in two seasons of playing action with the Bulldogs.

“Yeah, I released a statement yesterday I believe,” Smart said. “Disappointed in Javon, hate it for him. He’s got a wonderful family but made poor decisions and it’ll be dealt with internally.”

Bullard’s charges include not carrying a license, improper turning, minor in possession of alcohol, failure to maintain lane, failure to use head lights, operating a phone while driving and driving under the influence. Bond for those offenses combined came out to $4,750 according to the ACC jail log, Jake Rowe of DawgsHQ reported.

Since Bullard is under the age of 21, the DUI threshold is different. As long as he registers 0.02 or higher, he can be charged with driving under the influence.

Smart explained what the internal process in terms of discipline would look like, though he noted it is still very early in the legal and school judicial process.

“We have a process here we go through and we have a committee that he goes in front of, with the athletic director (Josh Brooks) and (senior deputy director of athletics) Darrice (Griffin),” Smart said. “That’s what I mean by it’ll be handled internally with us. There’s still a lot in the air there.”

Javon Bullard status puts increased playing time in doubt

A sophomore, Bullard had begun to see his playing time increase in 2022 before Sunday’s arrest.

He had already logged seven tackles and a pass defended in the first four games of the season for Georgia after tallying 11 tackles as a freshman a year ago.

Bullard credited a change in mindset for that.

“It all starts with your mindset. The game of football, that’s the funny thing about it, everybody comes in all shapes and sizes,” Bullard said, per DawgsHQ. “You’ve got 5-foot-10 quarterbacks, 5-foot-8 receivers, 6-foot-7 defensive ends. So it all starts with your mindset. You can’t go into a game feeling shy or timid. You can’t shy away from contact.

“Playing in the SEC, it’s a physical game, so it all starts with your mindset.”

Georgia returns to action on Saturday with a road trip to Missouri that will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET with a broadcast on the SEC Network.