Kirby Smart comments on Trevor Etienne arrest, shares disappointment for decision making

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia running back Trevor Etienne was arrested Sunday morning, and Tuesday’s press conference offered head coach Kirby Smart the first chance to comment on the incident. While it remains an ongoing legal matter, Smart did share his displeasure for the decisions made.

“Before we get to football, I know there’s a lot of interest in the Trevor situation from this past weekend. I would first want to reiterate what I said last week about the kid,” Smart said. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him. I think he’s a great kid, great person. We’ve gotten to know his family. He enjoys being coached. He’s a bright kid and we push him hard out there. He really loves the competition, but as we also know, sometimes kids don’t make the best decisions.”

“The older you get, sometimes the tougher the consequences are for your mistakes,” Smart continued. “He’s not going to let this mistake define him. He’s embarrassed, upset and knows he made a mistake. It’s a teaching moment, and we hope he gets better from it … Disappointed in his decision making, but he is a good kid.”

Arrest Details

Charged with four misdemeanor charges including driving under the influence (less safe) and reckless driving, Etienne was booked at the Athens-Clarke County Jail early Sunday morning. According to the police report obtained by DawgsHQ, the Bulldogs’ offseason addition out of the transfer portal was pulled over at 1:50 a.m. heading back from downtown after police spotted his 2024 RS7 Audi sedan driving recklessly and acted.

The arresting officer observed Etienne’s vehicle come to a sudden stop at the red light at South Milledge Avenue and Macon Highway in the early hours of Sunday morning. Etienne stopped so suddenly that the tires locked up and generated a screeching noise.

After observing that stop, the officer took a U-turn to pursue Etienne and witnessed him pass two cars, one on a blind curve, at a high rate of speed on a road that had very little lighting outside of what was provided by the car.

Once the officer observed Etienne pass that car, he activated his emergency lights and began pursuing the Georgia tailback on the road way. Etienne continued to head southbound and the officer claims to have reached 80 or 90 miles per hour while not being able to catch up.

During the pursuit the officer says that Etienne passed another vehicle and it wasn’t until he reached the gate of a community that he was forced to stop. Once the officer was able to make contact with Etienne, he stated that he was just trying to get home.

The officer asked if the Louisiana native had been drinking to which he responded that he had. He claimed that he had consumed three beers “way earlier.” He did not consent to a field sobriety test and told the officer that he would push his car home if need be.

The arresting officer reports that Etienne was swaying from side to side when he talked, his eyes were glossed over, and his speech was slurred. Based on the observed reckless driving and Etienne’s admission that he had been drinking the officer went forward with the arrest.

Upon testing, it was found that Etienne’s window tent exceeded the four percent limit. It was tested with another officer’s equipment once he arrived to the scene.

Georgia executive athletics director Steven Drummond shared the following statement on Sunday: “We are aware of the charges and are currently in the process of gathering information. This is a pending legal matter and will not have further comment at this time.”

Background on Etienne

A native of Jennings, Louisiana, Etienne, the younger brother of former Clemson standout and Jacksonville Jaguars star Travis, chose Florida out of high school as he looked for a different experience. He knew what it’d be like to play at LSU and live in Baton Rouge and had been along for the journey with his brother at Clemson. Georgia was among the schools he considered, but the Bulldogs went other directions for the Class of 2022 instead.

Etienne has been one of the best backs in the SEC over the course of two seasons at Florida, and the hope in Athens is that he’ll continue to do exactly that for Georgia after transferring this offseason. Etienne finished second on Florida’s roster in rushing in back to back seasons, topping the 700-yard mark each year. Only making matters more impressive is the fact that he did it in shared backfield. Etienne averaged more yards per attempt than his running mate with 6.09 as a freshman and 5.75 as a sophomore while also managing to add a dynamic ability as a pass catcher and kickoff returner.

This past season, Etienne had what he described as the best game of his career in an upset victory over Tennessee. Rushing for 172 yards on 23 attempts including a 62-yarder, Etienne helped lead the Gators to the win with a touchdown. Later in the season, he also had a three-touchdown day against LSU, recording 925 total yards (753 rushing, 172 receiving) and nine touchdowns on the season with double-digit touches in all but one game.

“Running back is one of the positions that you can pick up really quickly. There are similarities between our offense and (Florida). A lot of the same runs, a lot of the same words in some cases. He has not struggled to transition in that part,” Smart said about Etienne this past week prior to the arrest. “Getting comfortable in the offense, there are nuances. I have met with him about it. There are differences in the way we do things offensively that he is picking up on. He is very bright. That is not going to be a problem for him. There have been some mistakes and things, but nothing that can’t be corrected. In terms of his efforts and practice habits, we have encouraged him to give great effort, run the ball, pass the last defender. He is a sponge. He has absorbed that. He has enjoyed getting pushed. He is enjoying the competition of that room because there are guys he is competing with within that room. I am very pleased with where he is and hope that he will continue the trajectory he is on.”

Etienne could face a one-game suspension according to policy for DUI in the Georgia athletic handbook. The Bulldogs open the season against Clemson on August 31, a Tigers’ team expected to be ranked in the top 20 of preseason polls.