Kirby Smart jokes how EA Sports College Football 25 release made him feel old, 'out of touch'

Kirby Smart is now the second-longest tenured coach in the Southeastern Conference as he prepares for his ninth season at Georgia. He can tell it himself too with how senior he feels, especially in relation to his players these days.

Smart explained what he meant during the opening statement of his press conference from the podium at SEC Media Days on Tuesday. He said that he has started to be able to tell in some ways, including looking across the room to see his former boss now retired and working in the media.

“Not to pick on Coach Saban because I’ve got a lot of kind words to say about him coming up but, you know, I always thought that, like, I saw him as older when he was coaching and I saw myself as younger. Then I’m looking at it like, ‘Man, I’m old,'” said Smart.

Then came his story from the Bulldogs’ arrival on Monday that really got Smart. As they got to Dallas yesterday, all three of his players were talking about the release of EA Sports College Football 25. In trying to join the conversation, though, Smart showed his seniority in the car in how he thought customers still bought video games.

“I want to give you a quick story to show you when you know you’re getting old. It got me yesterday,” said Smart. “I’m riding in the car yesterday with Mykel, Malaki, and Carson Beck. We’re coming from the airport to the hotel. I’m hearing a conversation with Mykel and Malaki. Of course, what’s everybody talking about yesterday? What’s all of college football talking about? NCAA Football Game. Right? The new game that’s out.”

“I’m just trying to get in the conversation and talk to them about it. I said, ‘Man, that game is pretty awesome’. They’re like, ‘Yeah, I can’t wait to get in the hotel and I’m going to play it tonight’. Everybody’s talking about it – it’s trending, it’s all over everything. I was like, ‘How do they keep that thing in stores? It’s got to sell out. How do they keep it in stores?’. Mykel and Malaki just fell out laughing and they’re like, ‘Coach, they don’t sell those things in stores anymore? They’re not in stores,'” Smart recalled. “I was so embarrassed but I was glad they got a kick out of that. It made me realize how out of touch I actually am with how. You can just download it and go play. It’s that simple so stores don’t have to keep it.”

The past decade under Smart in Athens has been among the best in college football in that time. However, it appears to have aged him, although only 48, to the point where a laughable moment like this could happen with his kids and young men.