Kirby Smart explains what goes into his fiery pregame speeches: 'You can't do it every game'

Kirby Smart has picked up a reputation as a fiery individual, especially when necessary in the locker room. Even so, it’s a trait that he wishes wasn’t necessarily as public as it is.

Smart spoke about his well-known speeches, whether pre-game, at halftime, or postgame, during an appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ in Athens on Friday. He started by saying he would prefer it stay private considering his mom isn’t usually too proud of his wording. Still, he understands that, in this sport, there’s only so much you can do to keep certain things away from eyes and ears on the outside.

“It pisses my mom off. I think she gets upset,” admitted Smart. “She’s a southern baptist woman and she doesn’t believe in some of that language I have. Who’s listening and who’s doing it? Because you want to be able to control the message in terms of what gets out, what doesn’t. But there’s some things, I’ve come to believe in college football, that you just have no control over. It is what it is.”

Smart also desires that he won’t have to do it at all. He doesn’t want it to be necessary to get his players going and in order for them to play well. He also hopes to see the players be leaders on their own and stand up or speak out rather than having to do it himself.

“You can’t do it every game. I don’t know that you can get to that point,” Smart explained. “There’s moments that you feel like you need that, you’ve got to press the right buttons.”

“A lot of times? Our leaders do it. And, when the leaders take over, they listen twice as much they listen to me,” said Smart. “When the players talk? They listen.”

Many have been fired up after hearing Smart’s words to his Georgia Bulldogs, leaked or not. However, when he’s in the middle of it, he isn’t concerned with what anyone else hears or has to say about it. His sole goal is to juice his players up in a way that gets them ready to go.

“In the moment, I’m certainly not thinking about what I’m saying in terms of leaking. I’m looking at it as what can I do to inspire my players?” said Smart. “I was a passionate player and I want the players to have passion and energy about what they do.”