Fans of the University of Georgia Bulldogs have been blessed with excellence on the football field for the past several seasons. The program had a record of 42-2 from 2021-23, with two consecutive national championships in 2021 and 2022. However, a more unsavory part of the Georgia football universe comes on the side of the law. 

Approximately 25 UGA players have been arrested for driving-related violations over the past several years. The most notable of these instances came in January 2023, when staff member Chandler LeCroy and offensive lineman Devin Willock were killed while street racing with star defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Carter was arrested that March and released on $4,000 bond; he was also sued by the Willock family and Victoria Bowles, another staff member who survived the car wreck. Carter was chosen ninth overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Draft just three months after the wreck. 

Five players have been arrested this year. The most recent incident involved sophomore cornerback Daniel Harris, who was arrested on a reckless driving charge on Sept. 13 and released that night. Harris did not play in Georgia’s game against the University of Kentucky the following Saturday, which was said to be a coach’s decision, not a suspension. Earlier this year, running back Trevor Etienne was arrested for driving under the influence; he did not play in the season opener against Clemson University. 

These incidents are just a few that have occurred in recent months. Harris and Etienne are the only players to have missed games due to their arrests, but head coach Kirby Smart says other actions have been taken, including taking away NIL money, requiring players to take driving classes and bringing in guest speakers to talk to the players about their actions. Smart believes incidents such as these keep happening because of poor decisions being made, and emphasizes that the Georgia staff tries to drive home the seriousness and sensitivity of each incident. 

Outside of driving violations, there have been other instances of trouble with the law as well. Junior wide receiver Rara Thomas was dismissed from the team after being arrested on multiple family violence charges, including cruelty to children and battery. He had previously been suspended indefinitely. In early 2023, Thomas was arrested by campus police on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor charge of family violence battery. 

Those who have been following college football for a while might recall a similar controversy surrounding the mid-2000s University of Florida Gators. Florida won national championships in 2006 and 2008, and produced many NFL talents, but many of their players were arrested either in college or following their college careers for various crimes. In fact, 41 members of the 2008 championship team have been arrested at some point — about a third of the roster. The most notorious of these is Aaron Hernandez, who was convicted of murder while signed with the New England Patriots. In both of these cases, we see the players of very highly regarded and successful programs unable to be controlled by higher-ups of the program. 

While actions have been taken by Smart and the Georgia program to address these terrible situations, it is clear that there is still more to be done. The repetition and frequency of them show that not enough action is being taken to make any noticeable change. It is imperative, for the lives of those in the program and the community as a whole, that Smart and the entire Georgia staff and football program crack down on the poor behavior of their players. It is difficult to know what can be most effective, but the NCAA getting involved further and sanctioning the program would be a good first step. This would drive home the severity of the situation, put the program on notice, and show the rest of the NCAA that this kind of behavior is not tolerable. At the end of the day, lives are being put at risk, and it is unacceptable that Georgia and the NCAA let this continue.