"I want them to remember their families": When Kirby Smart shared wisdom for Georgia athletes on first visit to NFL Draft 

Kirby Smart was a guest on ESPN during the 2018 NFL draft show. The Georgia coach was at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to discuss the draft and the players getting picked. Smart had many of his Bulldogs players on the draft board.

With the draft less than two hours away, Kirby Smart was interviewed on a stage outside AT&T. One of the notable questions he was asked was what he wanted his players to remember on the day as they transitioned onto the professional stage.

“I want to remember their families,” Smart said (Timestamp 1:15). “The most important people that were impacted in their lives. High school coaches, whoever it is. Appreciate those people the most.”

Without a doubt, it's highly important for the players to remember those who have played a significant role in getting them to that level. Getting drafted into the NFL is the dream of many players right from a young age. However, only a tiny percentage fulfills the dream.

Kirby Smart explains how it feels to see his players get drafted

Kirby Smart was just two seasons into his head coaching job at Georgia after serving as an assistant at Alabama for close to a decade. He was getting to see a good number of his players in Athens and those he helped recruit in Tuscaloosa transition to the next level.

This was a surreal experience for the coach, who lost the national championship game to his former team a few months before the draft. He explained how he felt and what it really meant.

“This is my first chance to come to a draft, and I think it's really unique to see so many kids that you've sat in their homes and helped recruit them and help them make decisions,” Smart said (Timestamp 0:46). “Some of them chose to go other places, but you keep relationships with them.

“But to see Roquan and Sonny and Dick and Lorenzo, so many of our players, I'd say, win, grow up through this process, and then you get to see the likes of Rashawn Evans and Minkah Fitzpatrick, who you get to spend time in their homes. I think it's really exciting.”

Kirby Smart saw six of his players at Georgia get drafted over the three days of the draft. This didn't beat the school record of eight players as was anticipated. Nonetheless, a host of his former players had the opportunity as Alabama produced 12 players.