Kirby Smart again defends Georgia culture in first press conference since tumultuous offseason

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia is set to begin spring practice on Tuesday. means Kirby Smart met with the UGA beat for the first time since his team was a second National Championship in as many seasons. It’s also Smart’s first press conference since losing beloved members of the program in an automobile crash on January 15.

“It’s been a tough go with the deaths of Chandler (LeCroy) and Devin (Willock),” Smart said. “Our players have been through a lot. It’s been a tough go for them…”

“But I do feel strongly about our culture. We have good young men in our program. We’re coming off the highest GPA at we’ve ever had.”

The eighth-year head coach went on to say that players make mistakes but when it comes to the program, there is no lack of control.

He opened the press conference with a statement on expectations. Smart discussed how the bar is high at Georgia and how there are individual players who have not lived up to those standards. Later he said that educating players on off-field issues is not enough. The instructions must also be followed.

Georgia has dealt with a plethora of turmoil since the crash. Star inside linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson was arrested in February for an incident that happened before the crash. He was charged with reckless driving and racing, the same charges pressed against defensive tackle and projected first round NFL Draft pick Jalen Carter in connection with the crash.

Transfer wideout Rara Thomas was also arrested on charges of domestic battery and false imprisonment. The latter charge was recently dropped and Thomas is in position to have the domestic battery charge exponged.

Details of the crash…

LeCroy was operating a vehicle leased by the school for recruiting purposes when it crashed in the early morning hours of January 15. Smart told reporters on Tuesday that it a hard-and-fast rule was broken there. She was not involved in a work-related activity and should not have been using it.

Police issued a warrant for the arrest Carter earlier this month for his charges. The warrant also revealed more details of the accident. LeCroy was, in fact, intoxicated while operating the vehicle. Her blood alcohol level, as determined by a blood test, was .197. That’s almost two and a half times the legal limit.

The Ford Expedition that LeCroy was operating was traveling 104 miles per hour just before the crash and the case is being submitted to the Athens-Clarke County solicitor general.

“As a result of the ongoing investigation into the January 15, 2023, fatal car crash that occurred in the 900 block of Barnett Shoals Road, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department has secured arrest warrants for Jalen Carter, 21, for Reckless Driving and Racing.

“The investigation found that Chandler LeCroy, driver of the 2021 Ford Expedition, and Jalen Carter, driver of a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk, were operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing shortly after leaving the downtown Athens area at about 2:30 AM. The evidence demonstrated that both vehicles switched between lanes, drove in the center turn lane, drove in opposite lanes of travel, overtook other motorists, and drove at high rates of speed, in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other. Evidence indicated that shortly before the crash the Expedition was traveling at about 104 miles per hour. The toxicology report indicated that LeCroy’s blood alcohol concentration was .197 art the time of the crash. Investigators determined that alcohol impairment, racing, reckless driving and speed were significant contributing factors in the crash.

“The case will be given to the Solicitor General’s Office.”

Smart earlier this month…

It’s not the first time Smart has issued an impassioned defense of his program’s culture. He did so earlier this month in an interview with ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.

“Absolutely not. I would say we’re far from it,” Smart told ESPN’s Mark Schlabach in an article published Friday afternoon. “When you talk to people outside our program that come into it, they talk about what a great culture we do have — and we do an incredible job. Because I’ve got a lot of outside entities that come into our program and pour into these young men.”

“Do we have perfect young men and women and players? Not necessarily,” he continued. “But I promise you this, that’s the intent: for us to grow these guys and get them better. And I feel really good about the culture within our program.”