Kirby Smart Joins SEC Network and Talks Georgia Football

Following his presser at SEC Media Days, Kirby Smart joined SEC Network to talk about his Georgia Bulldogs.

Kirby Smart joined SEC Now on SEC Network to talk about the Georgia program and some of the points from his presser. 

One of Smart's first points on SEC Now was the quarterback position and how there is a "batt;e" at that position. As we saw in the 2020 season, we likely won't know the starter until the season is right around the corner. 

During his presser, Smart mentioned how "retention" has been one of the keys to success for the Georgia Bulldogs football program. He exemplified this by explaining how "every full-time coach on the team this season was a full-time coach on the team last season; how often do you get to say that about a championship-winning team." He also mentioned how three current staff members joined him at Georgia eight years ago when he entered the program and how 20-plus staff members graduated from the University. 

One question surrounding the Georgia program is how its offense will look in the post-Stetson Bennett and Todd Monken era. Smart had this to say - 

"We're a different team. So Mike's {Bobo} job is to take this team and figure out what its strengths and weaknesses are and accelerate that, but the verbiage and terminology for the quarterbacks will remain the same while using different assets. We got two wideouts, and this tight end {Brock Bowers}, we're gonna have a different quarterback. I think Mike's gonna do a good job of growing that - I don't get real involved with the offense. I might tell him something I think will help but that's not my place."

During his presser, Smart received some questions about the issue of becoming complacent. SEC Now asked how Georgia addresses complacency head-on when it appears that a player isn't trying at practice and if complacency tames itself this way instead of setting different goals. "No doubt," Smart said. "You address it every day; that's what the microphone at practice is for. You gotta be able to stomp it out! But, we don't really have that issue." 

As many know, the Dawgs have been hot on the recruiting trail. Smart was asked if it is "ever a heat check" when landing all these big-time commitments. "It is more of a checks and balances seeing if we have room. we want to retain the ones we got, and I feel that's the difference in our program is retaining our players." 

One of the players who joined Smart on his trip to Nashville was Sedrick Van Pran, the Bulldogs starting center for the past two seasons and leading the way into his third. SEC Now mentioned how Georgia's new quarterback has a great center to "lean on," and Smart agreed. 

"That's right, you better agree with him - you better agree with the center when he makes the mike point. That's the difference between a three-year starter and a new quarterback. Here's something about Sed people don't know. Every meeting he goes into he has a pad and pencil and he takes down notes - he wants to be a pro. He's a great leader and sets a great example for the rest of our players."