Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Colbie Young, a Miami transfer, was arrested on Tuesday morning. Athens Clarke-County police arrested Young on misdemeanor charges of battery and assault on an unborn child. Young was released Tuesday afternoon on $1,000 in bonds.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart spoke with the media following Young’s arrest in the middle of Georgia’s season.
“I know you guys want to know about Colbie (Young) and want to ask about it, but it’s a pending legal matter and I don’t have any answers right now,” said Smart on Tuesday evening.
Young’s legal matter certainly puts his status in doubt for the Georgia versus Mississippi State game. Young has 11 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns this season and is Georgia’s fourth-leading receiver.
“He’s (Colbie Young) been suspended indefinitely until this legal matter is resolved,” said Smart. “We can’t really comment any further on the specifics of it, but had a good meeting with him this morning,” said Smart on Wednesday.
The bigger story after Young’s arrest is Georgia’s troubling history of arrests in recent months and years. Many of Georgia’s arrests have been traffic violations. However, UGA already dismissed wide receiver Rara Thomas earlier this year after he had a domestic violence arrest.
Kirby Smart emphasizes that Georgia educates its players on legal responsibilities.
“We educate. We bring in speakers. It’s one of probably the most critical things we do,” said Smart. “Over the history of my nine years being here, it’s probably the most spoke on thing we have.”
Many are questioning if this is enough. Georgia is not the only college football program with off-the-field issues, but the Bulldogs are probably the most high profile school with these issues regularly surfacing in recent years.
“I’ll be honest with you, in my years of coaching, it’s probably been the hardest thing to deal with when you deal with players and some of the decisions,” said Smart, who has dismissed several players over the years following off-the-field incidents.
“I don’t mean this in Colbie’s case because I don’t know the details of that. I don’t know everything involved in that. But it’s a very sensitive matter, a tough thing to deal with,” continued Smart. “It’s unfortunate.”
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If Young misses time, then Georgia will rely on wide receivers London Humphreys and Anthony Evans to play more snaps.