Kirby Smart discusses Tennessee paying former Georgia player Darnell Washington
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said he read a report of former Bulldogs tight end Darnell Washington being tied into NCAA violations at Tennessee, but other than that he didn’t know much about the situation.
He said he was unaware that Washington was paid by a Tennessee assistant.
“No, we don’t get involved in any kind of NCAA investigation,” Smart said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. “Wasn’t aware of it or known about it, really anything to do with it. I saw the reports like you guys did.”
Then Tennessee assistant coach Brian Niedermyer delivered $750 cash in a Las Vegas parking lot to Washington in January 2019 and joined Washington’s family on a December 2019 flight for his official visit to Knoxville, according to a report by Knox News. It cited a source with direct knowledge of Washington’s recruitment.
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Tennessee also provided nearly $2,000 in impermissible benefits in the form of free lodging and free meals and apparel on visits accompanied by family and a high school during two Washington unofficial visits to Knoxville in 2019.
Tennessee was found to have committed more than 200 violations—including 18 Level I violations--over a three-year period when Jeremy Pruitt was head coach
Washington, a five-star prospect, signed with Georgia in the early period in December of 2019 and announced his decision at an all-star game in early January. He picked the Bulldogs over Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and Miami.
“My mom loved Tennessee a lot and she was kind of down for a bit, but she is all in now,” Washington told Dawgs247 after he announced his decision.
Washington was a third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in April’s NFL draft.
Washington ended his Georgia career with 45 catches for 774 yards and three touchdowns in three college seasons. He had 28 for 454 and two touchdowns as a junior in Georgia’s run to a consecutive national title.