Georgia football's Kirby Smart addresses arrest of OL Nyier Daniels
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Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said Monday that reserve offensive lineman Nyier Daniels is off the team following his arrest Sunday in which he led Commerce police on a chase after they saw him driving more than 100 miles per hour.
“Have not had a chance to talk to him or his family, but obviously he will no longer be with us,” Smart said.
He was charged with three felonies ― fleeing from a police officer and two counts of cruelty to a child in the second degree — and 10 misdemeanors including reckless driving, speeding, failure to maintain lane, driving on the wrong side of road and passing in a no passing zone.
His mother was also arrested and faces multiple charges, including felony fleeing from an officer.
They remained in the Jackson County Jail on Monday morning Nov. 24.
Daniels, 19, is the third player arrested in a driving-related incident since March.
Offensive lineman Marques Easley and wide receiver Nitro Tuggle never played again for Georgia after they were indefinitely suspended following their arrests in the same week in March in separate incidents.
Smart was asked if he’s taken a harder-line approach in discipling his players.
“Each case is a case-bycase basis,” he said, “and we’ll always evaluate those things that way based on the total history of the student athlete and what the actions were, what they entailed.”
Easley was arrested after crashing the front of his vehicle into an apartment complex in Watkinsville and damaged other vehicles. He was charged with three counts of reckless conduct. Police found evidence that Easley was “laying drag,” with the car before the crash. That case is still pending.
Tuggle was arrested for reckless driving and speeding after police said he was driving 107 miles per hour on the 10 loop in Athens. He plead guilty on May 19 to speeding charge and the reckless driving charge was dismissed in the plea deal.
Both Easley and Tuggle transferred to Purdue. Tuggle leads the team with 4 touchdown catches and is second in receptions with 29. Easley has not played this season.
Georgia football player’s driving has been under scrutiny the last few years after two members of the football program were killed in a crash after a national championship celebration in 2023.
Daniels is the 33rd known incident by a Georgia football player or support staff member charged with speeding, reckless driving or racing since the Jan, 15, 2023 crash in Athens that killed football player Devin Willock and support staffer Chandler LeCroy.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Kirby Smart on Nyier Daniels’ Georgia football future after arrest
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