Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart issued a message at SEC Media Day when discussing the team's traffic and speeding incidents.
The Georgia Bulldogs are the first team to win the National Championship in back-to-back years in the College Football Playoff era and are looking to go for the three-peat this upcoming season. But this offseason, the program did deal with several off-field issues, one of which being the death of offensive tackle Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy in a high-speed car crash back in January. Star defensive tackle Jalen Carter was alleged by police to have been racing with LeCroy.
That was just one of multiple driving and speeding incidents that the Bulldogs program has dealt with this year and did raise questions about the culture.
Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart spoke at SEC Media Day on Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn., and was asked about the traffic and speeding violations that have surrounded the program. Smart said that he is confident that his players can change the perception of the program.
"I would say talk to any of the players within our organization," Smart said, h/t 0n3 Sports. "Talk to the retention rate that we keep with our players. Our players respect the fact that they're under a microscope and that they always will be as athletes. But we've got one of the highest-character, highest GPA, one of the best teams we've had. I'm very confident about our team and our culture."
Kirby Smart addresses the perception of the Georgia football program
Smart said that his priority was his player's safety when it came to speeding and traffic violations. The head coach said of the incidents they "don't have more now" than in the past. Additionally, Smart expressed his belief that speeding is more common among young adults.
According to an ESPN report, there were at least 10 traffic moving violations by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department since Jan. 15, the day in which LeCroy and Willock were killed in the aforementioned car crash.
In the crash, Carter was alleged by police to have been racing LeCroy, whose Ford Expedition was traveling over 100 mph. LeCroy crashed the SUV into power poles and trees. LeCroy's blood alcohol level was more than two times the legal limit in Georgia.
Carter was given one-year probation, a $1,000 fine, and 80 hours of community service after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing.
Recently, a lawsuit was filed against Carter and the University of Georgia Athletic Association by former recruiting analyst Victoria Bowles, who was in LeCroy's vehicle and survived the crash. Bowles
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