Latavious Brini details his fight for a starting role

Latavious Brini's wait for his opportunity in Athens has featured more adversity than most.

The early years of Brini's career featured a pair of run-ins with the law. On the field, he's bided his time behind other veterans in the Georgia secondary.

Brini has since developed into a veteran leader for the Bulldogs. When called upon early this season due to injuries, he stepped up to the plate.

Brini came to Georgia as part of the 2017 recruiting class. As a three-star recruit, he joined a group that featured future stars such as Jake Fromm, D'Andre Swift, Eric Stokes, and Richard LeCounte.

While that group learned the intricacies of the Georgia system, Brini generated headlines off the field. In December of 2017, police arrested Brini on a felony forgery charge.

A second arrest followed in March of 2019—this time a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an incident in downtown Athens. At that point, Brini's career featured five games played and two arrests.

Kirby Smart kept Brini on the team. He could have transferred, but a fighting spirit instilled in him by his family dissuaded him from leaving.

"What kept me in Athens is just my heart, just knowing that I’m a competitor; I’m a fighter," Brini said. "Just growing up, I was a fighter my whole life."

Brini continued to work hard on the practice field. Despite being low on the depth chart, he kept improving, learning the defense.

He's also a player who accepts and even appreciates hard coaching, a tactic Smart is known to employ.

"He’s one of the guys who's come up to me before, thanked me, and said, ‘Coach, I really appreciate how hard you push me and how hard you coach me,’" Smart said. "Not everybody feels that way."

Two years ago, Brini appeared in five games. That number bumped up to seven in 2020.

His most notable action came in the Peach Bowl against Cincinnati. Starting in place of an injured Mark Webb, Brini recorded five tackles, including two stops for loss, and broke up a pass.

That game, Brini said, gave him plenty of confidence heading into the summer. With Webb gone, he saw the STAR position up for grabs.

Then came the addition of Tykee Smith, an all-Big 12 player who manned the position at West Virginia. Throughout fall camp, the two battled for the position.

"We felt like Brini played well in the Cincinnati game," Smart said. "He’s been around our defense for a long time. He practices really hard. He’s gotten more confidence through the spring and through these games we’ve played."

Smith suffered a foot injury in preseason camp. That left Brini the task of starting at STAR in Georgia's season-opening matchup with Clemson.

Brini took the role and ran with it. Against the Tigers, he notched four tackles and a pass breakup. Through four games in the 2021 season, Brini is tied for fourth on the team with 14 tackles and tied for second with three pass breakups.

Tykee Smith is now on the verge of returning. Just as he has his entire Georgia career, Brini will continue fighting for each and every opportunity.

"It makes me respect how far he’s come," Smart said. "He’s a great young man. He’s gotten better from being here, and he’s a good role model for our players. He’s a true example of, if you work hard and you learn the defense and you get better, you’ll get your opportunity. He’s done that."