ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday he went too far when he called backup safety Jake Pope an “idiot” for appearing to celebrate with Mississippi fans following the Bulldogs’ loss to the Rebels last weekend.
Pope issued an apology Monday — and a clarification about what happened — after a video of him appearing to celebrate following the Bulldogs’ 28-10 loss at Ole Miss on the field with Rebels fans drew sharp criticism from Smart.
When asked about the video Monday, Smart said: “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.”
One day later, Smart said he regretted his choice of words and complimented Pope for the way 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 said in an explanation he posted on X he was surprised to see longtime family friends from his hometown of Buford, Georgia, on the field. 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, a smiling Pope jumped up and down with his friends. His actions looked especially bad to Georgia fans because Pope was surrounded by Ole Miss fans who rushed onto the field, making it appear as if he were joining their celebration.
Pope has played in three games this season after his transfer 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.”
The No. 12 Bulldogs host No. 7 Tennessee in what might be a CFP elimination game at Sanford Stadium on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET/ABC, ESPN+).
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.