Georgia coach Kirby Smart insists Trevor Etienne is a ‘great kid’… despite RB becoming the LATEST Bulldogs player arrested on a driving-related charge – a year after crash that killed Devin Willock and a staffer

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart praised running back Trevor Etienne in the wake of the player’s arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Etienne was clocked between 130 and 140 km/h in an 80 km/h zone and crossed a double yellow line to pass vehicles twice.

The running back, who had been transferred to Georgia from Florida, told officers who stopped him that he was trying to get home and admitted to drinking three beers “much earlier.”

Smart opened his weekly news conference Tuesday by praising Etienne as a “great kid, great person” and noting how much he enjoyed being coached and loved the competition.

“As we also know, sometimes kids don’t make the best decisions,” Smart said. ‘The older you get, the heavier the consequences of your mistakes sometimes become.

Etienne, who recently moved to Georgia from Florida, was arrested for driving under the influence

Etienne was caught driving 130-140 km/h in an 80 km/h zone and looked visibly drunk

“So he doesn’t let this mistake define him. He’s ashamed. He is angry. He knows he made a mistake. It is a learning moment and we hope he will get better from it.’

Etienne, the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, was driving a 2024 Audi RS7 and failed to submit to a field sobriety test when he was stopped.

Officers said his speech was slurred, his eyes were shiny and he was swaying back and forth while standing on a flat surface. When the arresting officer asked the running back for identification, he handed the officer his car key.

In addition to driving under the influence, Etienne was also charged with reckless driving, failure to maintain lane/improper driving on the road and installing materials that reduce the visibility of windows/windshield.

Not only is he facing these criminal charges, but he is also facing disciplinary action from both the school and the athletic department. The policy stipulates that Etienne will miss ten percent of Georgia’s season – meaning at least one match in their 12-match schedule – if he is found guilty of drink-driving.

Since the tragic accident in January 2023 that killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiter Chandler LeCroy, Georgia football players have been arrested or charged at least fourteen times for speeding or reckless driving.

The Bulldogs open the 2024 season in Atlanta when they play Clemson on August 31.