Nolan Smith praised by Kirby Smart, Georgia teammates for post-injury leadership
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Nolan Smith won’t be logging any snaps in Saturday’s SEC Championship Game, but he’ll be on the sideline with the No. 1 Bulldogs for their game against No. 14 LSU.
Despite a season-ending torn pectoral injury, Smith continues to play an important role for UGA as a team leader.
“I care so much about this place, this program,” Smith told CBS. “It’s more than just a ‘G’ on my chest.”
While some players check out while recovering from injury, Smith’s actions are noticed and appreciated by his teammates and head coach Kirby Smart.
“The selfish part of me said, ‘Yeah, I need to go focus on my recovery,’ but I feel like the part that I can play now is just supporting and being there on the sideline, pushing guys.”
Smith, who opted to return for a fourth season at Georgia instead of entering the 2022 NFL Draft, had 18 tackles before his October injury.
Smart, Smith and Georgia players discussed Smith’s leadership in a CBS feature, which can be viewed below:
“It’s more than just a ‘G’ on my chest. It’s just been like a second home.”
Despite a season-ending injury, Nolan Smith continues to be a leader for @GeorgiaFootball. pic.twitter.com/SC3mPH8EQ1
— SEC on CBS ? (@SEConCBS) December 3, 2022
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
