kirby smart nolan smith georgia football coach

ATHENS — Nolan Smith will be out for the foreseeable future following his upcoming surgery on a torn pectoral muscle. But the Georgia football team is not done with him yet, as Smith is still helping his teammates.

It’s just in a different role than slamming opposing tackles or bringing down quarterbacks.

“I talked to him and asked to help left spirits and push. That has been his role when he is practicing, so I don’t want him to change now that he is not,” Smart said. “He is out there flying around and helping us out. It is great to have him take that on. Not all kids do that. Sometimes you get dejected or down in the dumps. He is not like that.”

Smith was one of Georgia’s most important players. He led the team in sacks but that is not all Smith was good for. He was an elite run defender and very capable in coverage for his position.

Perhaps his strongest quality though was his leadership. While Smith won’t be able to lift up his teammates on the field, he’ll be able to offer encouragement from the sidelines. Along with tips and pointers he’s learned in his lengthy Georgia career.

“The last two days, he is out there running to the ball, flying to the ball, coaching the guys, doing everything,” Smart said. “It has been an incredible impact just on the energy of practice. I am very appreciative of all he has done. It is an unfortunate part of football, but it is a very common injury and surgery. Roquan (Smith) has one when he was here. Roquan had one in the NFL. He will make it back from it, and he will be fine.”

Smith is set to undergo surgery on Thursday, yet Smart is still hopeful to have him back out at practice. It speaks to how much Smith cares about both his teammates and the Georgia football program.

As for replacing Smith on the field, that will largely fall to Robert Beal and Chaz Chambliss. Beal has regularly seen time this season, while Chambliss saw a big uptick in snaps on Saturday. Smart also mentioned Marvin Jones Jr. would’ve gotten more reps but he was battling the flu late last week.

Chambliss notched a sack late in the game, his first of the season. The sophomore linebacker shared what Smith’s message to the team has been.

“Don’t let it drop off, and just prepare every day. Keep the standard that he would have kept,” Chambliss said. “Just because he’s out doesn’t mean our defense is going to drop any. It’s just next man up, and we’ve got to prepare and execute at a high level.

“He’s on us every single play with scripts, making sure our assignments are right, giving us tips telling us what he would have done to just try and get us prepared.”

Smith’s loss can’t be overstated. But for a Georgia defense that had to replace so much from last season’s team and still find success in 2022, this group is ready for the challenge the Tennessee offense presents.

And Smith will be right there on the sidelines providing help to the best of his abilities.

“He does a great job. He is like an extra coach because he is so enthusiastic and getting after it.,” Smart said. ”He brings the energy.”

Kirby Smart explains how Nolan Smith will help Georgia football going forward

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