USA TODAY Network Pictures, USA TODAY Network Pictures Archive
Kentucky running back Dante Dowdell (2) is stopped by Georgia defensive back Ellis Robinson IV (1), Georgia linebacker Justin Williams (19) and Georgia defensive back Joenel Aguero (8) during the second half of a NCAA college football game against Kentucky in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
You would think that by now, the Georgia Bulldogs football program and head coach Kirby Smart would simply ban players from operating a vehicle.
Bulldogs players have been involved in a number of incidents, be it run-ins with the law or fatal crashes, over the last few years, and Smart doesn’t seem to have done anything to change things.
The latest victim is transfer running back Dante Dowdell, who has been hospitalized following an ATV crash, and whose injury status is now up in the air.
“He’s injured,” Smart said at SEC Media Days. “We don’t know when his return will be. I don’t know the specifics of it, to be honest with you. It was a recreational vehicle, and he had some serious injuries.
Smart added that Dowdell is currently being cared for at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, which handles rehabilitation for major injuries involving the spinal cord as well as brain injuries.
“He’s out of the really tough range, but as far as his complete health and coming all the way back, I don’t know what that looks like in terms of this year,” Smart noted. “He’s just a tremendous kid [with a] great family. We’re very supportive of them. Our players have been up there to see him. It’s a really tough deal.”
Dowdell transferred to Georgia after previous stops at Oregon, Nebraska, and Kentucky, where he combined for 1,264 yards and 16 touchdowns on 272 carries.
Kirby Smart Bears Some Blame In Dante Dowdell Accident
Smart can’t be with his players at every moment of every day. At some point, it’s up to them to take personal responsibility for their actions and safety.
But the Georgia coach hasn’t exactly done anything to help the cause either. And he still doesn’t seem to grasp the seriousness of the issue.
“The number one thing (is) I’m disappointed. Anytime you have a situation like that, you want your players to make better decisions,” he previously said of the repeated incidents. “I always say you can’t be outcome related and I’m very disappointed in the outcomes, but I am very pleased with our process we put in, in terms of education, driver safety, requiring defensive driving & education … We have a really good locker room & I feel really good about that. I love the players we have.”
It’s impossible to believe that the process is good given the repeated outcomes. If the process were good, the number of incidents would eventually drop.
Instead, they continue to skyrocket, and Georgia players are posing a threat not only to their own safety, but the safety of those around them.