Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said on Tuesday that he went too far when he called backup safety Jake Pope an “idiot” for seeming to celebrate with Mississippi fans after the Bulldogs’ loss to the Rebels last week.
Pope apologized on Monday after a video surfaced showing him appearing to celebrate with Ole Miss fans on the field following Georgia’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss. The video led to strong criticism from Smart.
When asked about the video on Monday, Smart responded, saying, “What an idiot. I mean just stupid. I didn’t see it until today, but he’s embarrassed about it. He’s upset about it.”
The next day, Smart admitted he had used the wrong words and praised Pope for how he explained the situation to his teammates.
“I’ll say I should not have called the kid an idiot and that was a mistake by me, but I appreciate Jake,” Smart said. “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.”
Pope explained on X that he was surprised to see long-time family friends from his hometown of Buford, Georgia, on the field after the game.
He said his friends, including one wearing the jersey of Ole Miss offensive lineman Reece McIntyre, also from Buford, “were extremely excited to see me after the game. I was also surprised to see them as well. And that’s why you saw the reaction that I gave via the video.”
In the video, Pope is seen jumping up and down and smiling with his friends. His actions upset Georgia fans because Pope was surrounded by Ole Miss fans who had rushed the field, making it look like he was celebrating with them.
Pope has played in three games this season after transferring from Alabama.
“I am Georgia through thick and thin and have never loved a group of guys more than the guys I go to battle with day in and day out,” Pope said. “Lastly, and once again, I’m sorry to my teammates, coaches, and fans all around about the way that video looked.”
After the loss, Georgia fell nine spots to No. 11 in the AP Top 25. The Bulldogs will play No. 6 Tennessee at home on Saturday night.
