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Published Mar 26, 2019
Smart expresses "disappointment" in recent arrests
Anthony Dasher  •  UGASports
Editor

Kirby Smart didn’t waste any time addressing the Sunday morning arrest of freshman Tyrique Stevenson and senior Tyler Simmons for disorderly conduct at a downtown Athens bar.

Georgia's head coach made his comments after Tuesday's fourth day of spring drills.

“Obviously, I’m extremely disappointed. There’s a standard of behavior that’s expected of student athletes at the University of Georgia and that’s not indicative of the behavior we want at the University of Georgia. It’s very obvious that those guys made poor choices and decisions,” Smart said. "They will be disciplined, they will be disciplined internally. Obviously, both of them were cited for disorderly conduct, which I think you guys know. But we’ve got to find a way to make better choices and decisions as young men, especially if they’re going to represent this university. But those things will be handled and they will be handled the right way.”

On Monday, Athens Clarke County police also revealed that Simmons, like Stevenson, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct during what police claim was allegedly a fight with employees at The Cloud Bar in downtown Athens.

Stevenson was released later Sunday morning on a $1,000 bond, while Simmons was not booked, but taken to the hospital for treatment.

“He was fine. He practiced today,” Smart said of Simmons. “I’m not sure, it was something to do with his ear, but I’m not sure what it was.”

Both Simmons and Stevenson were back at practice Tuesday.

According to police, at 12:50 a.m. Sunday, an off-duty ACCPD officer was working at the bar when he was alerted that a fight was taking place inside the bars.

The officer called for assistance, and multiple officers responded to what was described as a “chaotic scene” with bar patrons spilling out on the sidewalk and street. Once order was restored, witnesses identified Simmons and Stevenson as the subjects allegedly fighting with bar staff.

Neither player was charged by The Cloud Bar, but both athletes were charged by police with disorderly conduct and taken to jail.

“There’s always frustration when you have this. I don’t think it’s about a senior and freshman, though. Those two guys, they weren’t even together, they didn’t go there together, that wasn’t even the case. They ended up there,” Smart said. “That’s not my concern. My concern is the decisions that are made to put yourself in that situation. Look, our kids go downtown. We know they go downtown, but when you go downtown, you’ve got to behave.

“You’ve got to act the right away, follow and be law-abiding citizens. That’s the expectations we have for our players. And to be honest with you, most of our guys do that. But when they don’t, we’re going to try to correct it and we’re going to try to do it the educational way. We’re certainly going to do that with Tyrique and Tyler.”

No other players are thought to be involved.

“Not as far as I know. I don't think so. I think it’s over and done with. I think they finished it up, but I’m not 100 percent on that,” Smart said. “But in the communication I’ve had, those were the only two guys involved. There were other guys there, but as far as the involvement it was just those two.”

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