The College GameDay Podcast‘ between Rece Davis, Pete Thamel, and Ryan McGee, which Davis ended with an anecdote about Georgiahead coach Kirby Smart.
“In the national championship game for the 2017 season when Tua [Tagovailoa]hit DeVonta Smith and Alabama won it on the walk-off, in the aftermath I was doing various hits and Kirby Smart had given his news conference, and then Kirby stopped by and we talked,” Davis said. “And then when that was over we talked briefly and he was handling it like the consummate pro and gentleman that he is.”
“Obviously disappointed, obviously crestfallen at being that close to a championship and having it get away and he’s handling everything just as you’d expect from a coach of his caliber. Showing the disappointment but controlling the emotions.”
Losing a national championship game on the final play of the game in overtime can’t be a good feeling and one that warrants anger, frustration, and even sadness. All emotions that Smart chose not to show publicly and outwardly to the media in the aftermath of the loss.
“We finish our chat, he walks out of the room where we were, and there’s this big metal locker as he walked out of the room and there was kind of no one else around except me, my camera man, Kirby, and whoever was walking with Kirby,” Davis said. “And just before he exited the door to head back to the locker room, he turns and punches that metal locker. Gives it a big shot as if he has maintained, held it, held it, held it, knows when he takes a step outside that door he’s gotta hold it again and be the leader.”
That is why Kirby is elite and Ryan Day isn’t and never will be.
“In the national championship game for the 2017 season when Tua [Tagovailoa]hit DeVonta Smith and Alabama won it on the walk-off, in the aftermath I was doing various hits and Kirby Smart had given his news conference, and then Kirby stopped by and we talked,” Davis said. “And then when that was over we talked briefly and he was handling it like the consummate pro and gentleman that he is.”
“Obviously disappointed, obviously crestfallen at being that close to a championship and having it get away and he’s handling everything just as you’d expect from a coach of his caliber. Showing the disappointment but controlling the emotions.”
Losing a national championship game on the final play of the game in overtime can’t be a good feeling and one that warrants anger, frustration, and even sadness. All emotions that Smart chose not to show publicly and outwardly to the media in the aftermath of the loss.
“We finish our chat, he walks out of the room where we were, and there’s this big metal locker as he walked out of the room and there was kind of no one else around except me, my camera man, Kirby, and whoever was walking with Kirby,” Davis said. “And just before he exited the door to head back to the locker room, he turns and punches that metal locker. Gives it a big shot as if he has maintained, held it, held it, held it, knows when he takes a step outside that door he’s gotta hold it again and be the leader.”
That is why Kirby is elite and Ryan Day isn’t and never will be.
