Smart not afraid to tell it like it is

If there’s been one noticeable aspect of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart's personality, it is that he’s not afraid to speak his mind.

That includes comments to the media about his own players.

Although Smart won’t typically offer up information unless asked, when he is queried, reporters had best be prepared to hear the unvarnished truth.

Smart's players know it is coming

“When we see stuff like that, we just know we’ve got to do better,” defensive tackle DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle said. “We know our coach is not going to try to hide what’s going on, he’s going to tell you straight up what’s going on so its up to us to straighten up and play.”

It doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re not performing or giving the type of effort Smart expects you to give – be prepared to hear about.

“All that it is is constructive criticism and we’re in a business where you need tough skin,” junior linebacker Davin Bellamy said. “If you’re not doing what you have to do, you’d better step up to the plate so that’s not really a problem.”

In press conferences over the past week, Smart was asked about and subsequently “called out” the likes of Trenton Thompson and Terry Godwin, telling the inquiring media that the pair (paraphrasing) needs 'to step up their game.'

“I told Trenton he’s got to improve his body language,” Smart said. “Sometimes he looks like he’s not into it, but when you light a little fire under him he makes some plays.”

Inexperienced true freshmen are not immune, either.

On Tuesday, Smart had this to say when asked about left guard Ben Cleveland.

“Ben’s got to get better. I expect more out of Ben. Ben’s a guy who was here in the spring and the fall. I expect Ben to pick things up and play with more consistency and play with more effort,” Smart said bluntly. “My expectations for Ben is to play with toughness and play really hard. We don’t always get that out of Ben and he’s got to improve that.”

According to Bellamy, Smart’s bluntness with the media keeps them on their toes.

“Like Kirby says when he breaks down practice, ‘I’m brutally honest with you guys,’” Bellamy said. “He’ll say today was a good practice, today was a bad. He just shoots it forward. You have no choice but to like a coach who will keep it real.”