Kirby Smart explains why giving outgoing Georgia players curtain calls meant so much to him

As Georgia closed the book on its 65-7 rout of TCU in the national championship, Kirby Smart made sure to give his outgoing players proper send-offs. A former Bulldog himself, Smart said he had a hard time with their pending departures — something he doesn’t experience often.

Stetson Bennett and Javon Bullard were among the players to take curtain calls as they wrapped up their respective Georgia careers. They sat next to Smart as he talked about everything they did for the program over the years, including back-to-back titles.

They left their mark on the program, and Smart wanted to make sure they got their respect from the fans as they departed the field for the final time.

“Because of what they’ve done for this program,” Smart said. “I got really emotional, and these guys will tell you. Before the Ohio State game, I don’t know what got into me. I hadn’t been that way forever. I don’t know if it was exhaustion, stress anxiety. But I got pretty emotional. And I held it together tonight for the most part, but that moment with the timeouts, seeing Stetson and those defensive players — you don’t see what they sacrifice.

“You don’t see Bullard, when his shoulder comes out and he won’t put on a black jersey, and you’re, like, you can’t go, Bullard. And he won’t come out of practice. And he’s still hitting people. His shoulder comes out tonight, his collarbone, and he just stays in the game. He embodies what our culture is, which is toughness. And I have a very serious appreciation for that because they do it for a university I love. It means a ton to me when they sacrifice like that for our university.”

That wasn’t the only time Smart talked about representing his alma mater. He also said the university helped shape him into the person he’s become — and that’s why he’s trying to repay the favor.

“I wouldn’t be who I am today without the University of Georgia. I was lucky to go, to get a chance to go the University of Georgia,” Smart said. “And I want to give back to a place that has meant so much to my life and to my families life and has given so much to us. So I don’t think you can do that without honoring them with how you work. And the standard you try to set. That’s my selling point.”