Kirby Smart and Georgia Bulldogs‘ skeletons were exposed again in n Atlanta Journal-Constitution article from this week. A woman whose identity remains anonymous, then-accused a 16-year-old football recruit of sexual assault last year.
The Bulldogs have enjoyed tremendous success under Smart since he took over in 2015 after Mark Richt was fired. They have made three national championship appearances, won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023, had 55 players drafted since 2015, and average 11.5 wins per year under Smart. Off-the-field issues could remove some luster from the overall success of the program.
Turning A Blind
According to the AJC, Jamaal Jarrett, part of the 2023 recruiting class, had a weekend to remember when he took an official visit to Athens in June 2022. A woman accused the then-16-year-old of sexually assaulting her during his visit. In addition to the sexual assault accusations, Jarrett broke curfew, got drunk with potential teammates, and ended up arrested. It didn’t stop the Bulldogs from signing him and he was never charged by police.
“Winning is their only objective,” Jarrett’s accuser said in an interview. “It’s no longer about building guys up with good character. It’s no longer about building a good work ethic. It’s just about winning.”
The AJC also outlined that Smart let eight players go to court to seek their teammate’s release after he was jailed on a rape charge. Another player remained on the roster for a full season after he was charged with recording a sex act with an unconscious woman.
The program took a hit when the AJC reported on what really happened the night of tragic car accident that killed former offensive tackle Devin Willock and team staffer Chandler LeCroy. The incident also involved Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter. LeCroy was driving an SUV that was university property with Willock, another staffer, and another football player in the car. The four reportedly spotted hanging together in downtown Athens before the accident took place. It was also reported that LeCroy had four speeding tickets in six years that the university knew about.
The AJC reported that the program has covered up players excessive speeding, street racing and driving under the influence, sexual assault accusations from women, etc. In May, Marcus Rosemy-Jackson was the fourth football player arrested in 2023 on driving charges.
All of this happened under Smart and he sent Bryant Gantt to do his dirty work.
Who Is Bryant Gantt?
The average Bulldogs fan might not know who Gantt is but Athens-Clarke County Police certainly does. Gantt is reportedly the go-to-guy when any Bulldogs’ football player gets in trouble.
The AJC identified 11 players who remained with the team after women reported violent encounters to the police, to the university, or to both during Smart’s tenure. They also reported that the accusations is unknown. Gantt is the reason why most of those players never faced any criminal charges or plead guilty to lesser charges.
Gantt official title is director of player wellness. His duties include providing advice and counsel to student-athletes. He worked 19 years at a law firm in Athens as a legal assistant, investigator, and process server.
He reportedly have contacted officials 82 separate legal matters involving players between 2016 and 2023. He is viewed as the “babysitter” to the Bulldogs football program. Gantt has reportedly offered tickets to games for employees of the county solicitor’s office, covered for players when they have missed court dates, checked on players’ tickets, and paid fines for players.
Gantt seems to be the man that is handling all of the Bulldogs’ legal issues while Smart is continuing to let players run wild in Athens without any consequences.
