Georgia’s spring practice took a sour turn over the weekend as Florida transfer running back Trevor Etienne was arrested for multiple charges, including driving under the influence, early Sunday morning.
Kirby Smart issued a statement on the matter during Tuesday’s press conference.
“I would first want to reiterate what I said last week about the kid,” Smart said. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him. I think he’s a great kid, great person. We’ve gotten to know his family. He enjoys being coached. He’s a bright kid and we push him hard out there. He really loves the competition, but as we also know, sometimes kids don’t make the best decisions.
The older you get sometimes the tougher the consequences are for your mistakes. He’s not going to let this mistake define him. He’s embarrassed, upset and knows he made a mistake. It’s a teaching moment, and we hope he gets better from it.”
Smart also added that Etienne will be subjected to both university and team discipline.
Etienne signed with the Bulldogs this offseason after two seasons at Florida. He was rated as the No. 3 transfer tailback in the country, per 247Sports.
With Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards headed to the 2024 NFL draft, Etienne is considered one of the top options to get starting reps in Georgia’s young running back room.
Smart shared glowing remarks about Etienne in his opening press conference this spring.
“Everything we’ve heard about Etienne before he got here has held true, he’s a tremendous leader, he’s a high character kid, so he immediately surges into a leadership role,” Smart said at the opening spring football press conference. He’s not a first-year player. He’s been in our league and our conference, and he has standards and expectations.”
The Bulldogs will continue spring practice leading up to the annual G-Day scrimmage game on Saturday, April 13 in Sanford Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET, televised on SEC Network+.