Georgia’s football program has had plenty of success on the field for the better part of the last decade, capturing two national titles while in consistent contention in a competitive SEC.
But since winning its most recent national championship in January 2023, the program has developed significant off-field issues surrounding a culture of racing and reckless driving. As of Thursday afternoon, there were 20 known incidents involving driving-related infractions by individuals associated with the Bulldogs program, including the first and most consequential crash that killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy one week after Georgia defeated TCU in the 2022-23 CFP National Championship.
That number has now risen to 24 total traffic-related incidents, according to new reporting from Chip Towers of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that was published on Friday.
Per Towers, freshman defensive back Demello Jones was cited for racing senior linebacker Smael Mondon on Wednesday. Previous reporting indicated that Mondon was the only one arrested in the incident.
In a separate report, Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald, reported on early Friday morning that sophomore defensive back Joenel Aguero and redshirt freshman Justyn Rhett were arrested for speeding on Feb. 16, as the duo was traveling at a speed of 59 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour zone and “cutting in and out of traffic.” There was also one additional arrest that had not been previously reported involving senior defensive back David Daniel-Sisavanh. Daniel-Sisavanh was arrested and charged with reckless driving on Feb. 24 when his 2021 BMW 340-I was driving southbound on the Interstate 75/85 connector in Atlanta and made multiple lane changes at high rates of speed without using a blinker. Daniel-Sisavanh admitted to Georgia’s football staff that he fled from a trooper during the police pursuit before ultimately pulling over, according to Weiszer.
The incessant driving related offenses of the Georgia football program has continued ahead of SEC media day next week. With less than two months until kickoff, Kirby Smart and his staff will need to find a way to curb the issues plaguing his program off the field.