Georgia coach Kirby Smart apologized for calling backup safety Jake Pope an “idiot” after he appeared to celebrate with Mississippi fans following the Bulldogs loss to the Rebels over the weekend, adding that Pope spoke directly to his team following the incident.
Pope went viral on social media after he was seen joining in with Mississippi fans that stormed the field following Georgia’s 28-10 loss.
Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Walter Blanchard (28), defensive back Jake Pope (22), Georgia Bulldogs running back Nate Frazier (3) and place kicker Peyton Woodring (91) celebrate after the game of an NCAA college football matchup Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Florida Gators 34-20. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
He later apologized in a lengthy post, explaining that he was surprised to see his family friends had attended the game and was reacting to that — not Georgia’s defeat.
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“This is not representative of who I am in any way,” Pope said in the statement. “In no way, shape or form would I ever celebrate a loss in this program and anyone who knows me well knows that. My long-time family friends had come up to me unexpectedly after the game as I was trying to get off the field to safety and were extremely excited to see me after the game.”
Pope said the reason they were wearing Ole Miss jerseys was because they were also close with one of the Rebels players.
Fans storm the field after the game between the Mississippi Rebels and the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)
But before issuing his apology, Smart had already spoken on the matter publicly.
“What an idiot. I mean, just stupid,” Smart told the media after the game.
GEORGIA COACH KIRBY SMART REACTS TO HIS PLAYER CELEBRATING WITH OLE MISS FANS: ‘WHAT AN IDIOT’
But after further reflection, the longtime coach apologized for his choice of words on Tuesday.
“I don’t like to comment on the internal stuff going on inside. He did talk to the team, did a great job. I’ll say I should not have called the kid an idiot, and that was a mistake by me, but I appreciate Jake.”
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart reacts during warm ups prior to the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. (Petre Thomas-Imagn Images)
Smart continued, “He’s a great kid. He works really hard. He’s a team player. I think he knows it was an emotional mistake, and he told the team that. So, I appreciate the way he handled it.”
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Saturday’s loss dropped Georgia outside the 12-team playoff bracket on Tuesday. They move on to host Tennessee on Saturday night.
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