Kirby Smart credits Trevor Etienne's handling of football since DUI arrest

The spring game is in the books for the Georgia Bulldogs. With that, head coach Kirby Smart has a better look at his team as a whole, including transfer running back Trevor Etienne.

While speaking to members of the media after the spring game, Smart praised Etienne for his talent work ethic, and how he’s handled football since his DUI arrest.

“He’s a good back,” Kirby Smart said. “He’s explosive, he’s quick in and out of the hole. He’s different than what we’ve had. I think the [D’Andre] Swift analogy is good. [James] Cook analogy is good.”

On the field, Trevor Etienne has already proved that he’s able to succeed in the SEC. He spent two seasons with the Florida Gators. While he was there, Etienne rushed for 1,472 yards and 14 touchdowns in 24 games. He also had 238 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.

Despite how obviously talented he is, Kirby Smart explained that he’s still working to grow as a player and he highlighted his work in pass protection.

“He’s really taken a lot of personal pride in working on his protection. He had a nice pick up today. He’s learning the offense. Look, the guy’s been a good SEC player for two years. It’s not like he’s a freshman.”

Trevor Etienne was arrested for DUI on Sunday, March 24th. In total, he was charged with four traffic-related misdemeanors, including DUI (less safe), reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, and affixing materials that reduce visibility of his windows and windshield.

“He’s a really good player and a really good kid. I’ve been proud of the way he’s handled everything since his deal,” Smart said.

Kirby Smart’s initial comments on Trevor Etienne’s arrest

Shortly following Trevor Etienne’s initial arrest, Kirby Smart directly addressed the situation with media members.

“Before we get to football, I know there’s a lot of interest in the Trevor situation from this past weekend. I would first want to reiterate what I said last week about the kid. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him. I think he’s a great kid, great person. We’ve gotten to know his family. He enjoys being coached. He’s a bright kid and we push him hard out there. He really loves the competition, but as we also know, sometimes kids don’t make the best decisions,” Smart said.

“The older you get, sometimes the tougher the consequences are for your mistakes. He’s not going to let this mistake define him. He’s embarrassed, upset and knows he made a mistake. It’s a teaching moment, and we hope he gets better from it … Disappointed in his decision making, but he is a good kid.”

At the time, Smart said there would also be consequences within the team.