Jake Olson, 1st blind CFB player, takes shot at Georgia over speeding, reckless driving issues

What might’ve been murmurs about the off-field issues for Georgia’s football program have graduated to full-blown chatter in recent days with another arrest of a player. And the continuing nature of these problems, particularly those around dangerous driving and speeding, have made head coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs the butt of plenty of jokes.

Even from unexpected sources.

While most college football fans remember Jake Olson when he was featured on SportsCenter’s “My Wish” series as a child, then going blind, who connected with the USC football program under Pete Carroll. Olson would grow up without eyesight, but go on to join the USC football team as a long snapper, participating in a handful of games.

And Olson, whose grace and perspective on going blind even as a kid was an inspiration, used his lack of eyesight to set up his joke in response to a prompt from On3’s J.D. PicKell about “absolute” truths in college football.

“I could’ve driven to practice if I were to have long snapped at Georgia,” Olson said on social media.

While Olson can certainly afford to make light of the situation online, public pressure and scrutiny continues to ratchet up on Smart.

Smart has said in the past that players have faced internal punishments for off-field issues and more recently revealed that the Bulldogs’ NIL collective has been, in essence, fining players for off-field problems.

However, whatever has been deployed to try and fix the problem behavior in Athens has yet to take hold and Smart and Co. will likely need to keep searching for answers. Because as past events have shown, being made fun of online for dangerous driving is among the least-harmful, shortest-lasting consequences for Georgia, its players and staff.

The 24 Georgia driving incidents since January 2023, per the AJC

1. Jan. 15, 2023: Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy are killed in a high-speed crash where alcohol was involved, in the hours after Georgia’s parade to celebrate the 2022 national champioship. Two others — player Warren McClendon and staffer Tory Bowles — were also passengers in the vehicle and were injured. It was determined that LeCroy was racing Bulldogs defensive lineman Jalen Carter and was going more than 100 mph when the crash occurred.

2. Feb. 17, 2023: Freshman offensive lineman Aliou Bah was stopped for going 65 in a 45 mph zone. He received a year of probation, was ordered to complete a defensive driving course, do community service and pay a nominal fine.

3. Feb. 21, 2023: Linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson is arrested for racing and reckless driving stemming from a Jan. 10 incident. He would later plead guilty to reckless driving, with the racing charge dismissed.

4. Feb. 23, 2023: Wideout De’Nylon Morrissette was stopped for driving 81 mph in a 45 mph zone.

5. Feb. 23, 2023: In a separate incident on the same day, freshman defensive end Marvin Jones was stopped by the Georgia State Patrol in the Athens area and cited for driving 93 in a 65 mph zone.

6. March 1, 2023: Carter, for his role in the Jan. 15 crash, was arrested on charges for street racing and reckless driving. Carter entered a no-contest plea — meaning he would not mount a defense against the charges — and was given a years probation, a $1,000 fine, community service and was ordered to complete a defensive driving course.

7. March 25, 2023: Freshman defensive lineman Christen Miller is stopped by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department and cited for driving 95 in a 65 mph zone.

8. March 25, 2023: In another instance of multiple issues in one day, running back Kendall Milton was stopped the same day as Miller, cited by GSP for going 79 in a 65 mph zone around Athens.

9. May 2, 2023: Morrissette picks up a second citation, this time for going 91 in a 55 mph zone in Walton County.

10. May 9, 2023: One week later, Morrissette has a third encounter, this time getting arrested for DUI and drugs by the authorities in Oconee County after hitting another vehicle from behind on a state highway.

11. May 15, 2023: Wideout Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint was cited by police in Coral Springs, Florida, for going 60 in a 50 mph zone.

12. May 16, 2023: A day later, also in Coral Springs, Rosemy-Jacksaint is cited for going 71 in a 40 mph zone.

13. May 23, 2023: Rosemy-Jacksaint, now back in the Athens area, was clocked going 90 in a 45 mph zone and was jailed for reckless driving and excessive speeding.

14. July 5, 2023: Freshman linebacker Samuel M’Pemba is cited by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department for going 88 in a 55 mph zone.

15. July 31, 2023: Defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is jailed after being stopped for going 90 in a 70 mph zone and police learn an outstanding warrant for a failure to appear in court over handicap parking violations is active.

16. Sept. 1, 2023: Player connection coordinator Jarvis Jones is arrested and jailed for reckless driving after getting stopped for going 86 in a 40 mph zone.

17. Feb. 18, 2024: Defensive back Joenel Aguero is cited for driving 59 in a 40 mph zone and was reportedly racing teammate Justyn Rhett at the time.

18. Feb. 18, 2024: Rhett is cited for going 59 in a 40 mph zone by Athens-Clark County Police.

19. Feb. 19, 2024: Defensive back David Daniel-Sisavanh is charged with reckless driving for making multiple lane changes at speed without a signal and then leading police on a pursuit, according to a public report from the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

20. March 24, 2024: Transfer running back Trevor Etienne is pulled over just before 2 a.m. and is charged with DUI, reckless driving and two other misdemeanors.

21. May 18, 2024: Freshman Sacovie White is stopped around 2 a.m. for “traveling at a high speed” and going the wrong way down a one-way street and was arrested and charged with reckless driving and driving the wrong way.

22. July 9, 2024: Offensive lineman Bo Hughley is charged with reckless driving and failure to maintain lane/improper driving following a car accident. He was arrested and more details came forth via an AJC FOIA request with the local police.

23. July 10, 2024: Linebacker Smael Mondon was arrested by Athens-Clarke County Police for going at least 75 in a 40 mph zone and was charged with racing and reckless driving.

24. July 10, 2024: The partner in Mondon’s race, defensive back Demello Jones was cited for racing Mondon.

As long as this problem continues, scrutiny will continue to fall on the Georgia program, those within it, including head coach Kirby Smart.