Georgia grapples with driving violations as Smart says players are being fined from NIL payments

DALLAS -- Georgia players who have been arrested or cited for driving violations have been disciplined with suspensions and fines through the collective that provides name, image and likeness payments to the school's athletes, coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday.

Football players at the school have been involved in 24 driving-related violations (DUI, reckless driving or speeding), The Atlanta-Journal Constitution has reported, including a crash that killed a player and a recruiting staffer in January 2023.

“The incidents that have been happening off the field are not something we condone,” Smart told a small group of reporters before taking the stage at SEC Media Days. “It’s very unfortunate, disappointing, I guess is the best word."

Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy were killed in a car crash in Jan. 15, 2023, just days after the Bulldogs won the national title game.

Police said LeCroy had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit and was racing another Georgia player, Jalen Carter, at about 104 mph when the SUV swerved off the road and struck two utility poles and a tree before slamming into another tree on the driver’s side, where both LeCroy and Willock were sitting.

Last week, Georgia linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. was arrested on reckless driving charges and defensive back Demello Jones was cited for street racing in Athens, Georgia.

On March 24, Athens-Clarke County police arrested running back Trevor Etienne on charges of drunken driving, failure to maintain a lane or improper driving as well as affixing materials that reduce visibility through the windows or windshield.

The DUI charges against Etienne, a transfer from Florida, were dismissed Wednesday during a hearing in Athens-Clarke County Municipal Court when he pleaded no contest to reckless driving, underage possession of alcohol and two other driving offenses.

"I always talk about processing outcomes in wins and losses. We try not to base things on outcomes. In this case, the outcomes are very disappointing,” Smart said.

Georgia announced Tuesday that safety David Daniel-Sisavanh has been dismissed from the team. The senior was charged with reckless driving in Atlanta in February after leading police on a pursuit.

Smart declined to reveal other specific punishments for specific players, but he did say that receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint was suspended last season for a traffic violation.

“We don’t talk about the suspensions; we have them,” Smart said. “I think it’s pretty obvious that we’ve done them in the past. You guys know when we do them, but each of those cases are very different, and they’ll be handled in different ways."

Smart also said players have been fined from the Classic City Collective for breaking the law, which is part of the contract players enter into with the organization. He called the fines substantial but did not give details.

"That’s something that’s been ongoing outside of my jurisdiction that they decided to implement and have done for a considerable amount,” Smart told reporters.

Smart said the school and program have aggressively tried to address the dangers of not being responsible behind the wheel with players through education, citing 162 instances in which the team has heard from coaches, administrators and speakers.

“But if people go say, ‘Well, it falls on deaf ears, you got to have discipline, you’ve got to discipline someone,’" Smart said. "Well, we have, and we will continue to do so. If the actions require that, we’ll do what’s necessary to do that. But I do think the effective way in curtailing some things is when you go to their wallet and you fine them because these fines have been substantial, and it’ll make you think twice about the mistakes you make.”

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

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