University of Georgia Athletics
Patience, Persistence Have Been Key For Smith
November 06, 2024 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Arian Smith has a lot from his time at Georgia that he can look back on with great pride, much of it done in big moments in big games played in front of huge crowds. The thing the fifth-year wide receiver is maybe most proud of, however, took place more between his ears than it did anywhere else.
"If I look at myself then," when he first got to Georgia, "and look at myself now, now I'm more tough and resilient and I'm not going to let anything stop me," Smith said. "When I first got here, I was weak, I had no toughness — no mental or physical toughness — and I'll probably say I was selfish.
"I thought I was 'the Man' and I was selfish. I wanted me before anybody, I wanted everything; I wanted to start and catch touchdowns. I didn't care about nobody's opinion but my own."
Now, after redshirting in 2020, battling numerous injuries in his career, and having to wait for and earn his spot as a primary receiver in the Bulldogs' offense, Smith has a great appreciation for how far he's come.
"Life's not all about me," he said, and that was something he had to learn and understand when he first got to Georgia as a four-star recruit surrounded by other really talented players. Now, that bit of wisdom is something he said he likes passing along to his younger teammates.
Smith is one of No. 3-ranked Georgia's top wideouts this season with 31 receptions for a team-high 508 yards and three touchdowns heading into Saturday's game at No. 16 Ole Miss. The 6-foot deep threat, who's much more than just a deep threat, has two games with more than 130 receiving yards this season: 132 at Alabama and 134 against Mississippi State.
The wide receiver's first catch as a Bulldog went for a touchdown against South Carolina, way back in 2020. Later that season, he had a 55-yard reception against Cincinnati in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Smith would come up huge in the same bowl two years later, with a lot more on the line.
During Georgia's run to the 2021 national championship, Smith, then a redshirt freshman, played in four games, catching a 61-yard touchdown pass against UAB. A star track and field sprinter and jumper in high school, Smith ran for the Bulldogs as a redshirt freshman and helped set a couple of school records in the 4x100 relay at the SEC and NCAA outdoor meets.
When asked if he missed parts of being a track athlete, Smith, who won a Florida state championship in the 200, didn't hesitate before saying that he did.
"I love to run, man. I love the beauty of it. I find that it's an art," he said. "Everybody runs different, and it's just a beautiful thing, being able to run."
Smith said he also loves the math and science of running, how force and mass and cadence and all the other factors come together to determine a sprint or jump result.
If not for multiple injuries, Smith's career numbers would surely be much better. He's played in 41 career games and has a total of 51 catches for 1,042 yards and nine touchdowns. And in each of his five seasons of playing at least four games — he was limited to four in 2020 and 2021 — Smith's season-long reception went for at least 51 yards. This season, his longest catch is 55 yards, but the season's far from over.
"I think he brings consistency in terms of he's been in the offense — he understands it. He has vertical speed. He's become a much better route runner in this last couple years and he's worked hard to develop at that and grow at that," coach Kirby Smart said last week. "I'm just really happy for him and pleased for him to keep working."
Against Florida, with the game tied 20-20 in the fourth quarter and Georgia facing a third-and-7 at its 28-yard line, quarterback Carson Beck found his fellow fifth-year playmaker for a game-changing 34-yard gain to the Gator 38. Four plays later, the Bulldogs took the lead for good.
Smith had two catches for 59 yards and one carry for 4 yards that day. Two weeks before, in Georgia's 30-15 win at then-No. 1 Texas, he caught six passes for 32 yards, which doesn't seem like much, but one of the receptions was a huge 21-yarder on third-and-10 at the UGA 11 in the third quarter after the Longhorns had cut Georgia's lead to 23-15. The Bulldogs wound up marching 89 yards in 11 plays on that drive and scoring for a decisive two-score advantage.
It took a lot of work and growth and ups and downs, but Smith is exactly where he wants to be. He's a vital player on a talented team chasing another championship.
Staff Writer
Arian Smith has a lot from his time at Georgia that he can look back on with great pride, much of it done in big moments in big games played in front of huge crowds. The thing the fifth-year wide receiver is maybe most proud of, however, took place more between his ears than it did anywhere else.
"If I look at myself then," when he first got to Georgia, "and look at myself now, now I'm more tough and resilient and I'm not going to let anything stop me," Smith said. "When I first got here, I was weak, I had no toughness — no mental or physical toughness — and I'll probably say I was selfish.
"I thought I was 'the Man' and I was selfish. I wanted me before anybody, I wanted everything; I wanted to start and catch touchdowns. I didn't care about nobody's opinion but my own."
Now, after redshirting in 2020, battling numerous injuries in his career, and having to wait for and earn his spot as a primary receiver in the Bulldogs' offense, Smith has a great appreciation for how far he's come.
"Life's not all about me," he said, and that was something he had to learn and understand when he first got to Georgia as a four-star recruit surrounded by other really talented players. Now, that bit of wisdom is something he said he likes passing along to his younger teammates.
Smith is one of No. 3-ranked Georgia's top wideouts this season with 31 receptions for a team-high 508 yards and three touchdowns heading into Saturday's game at No. 16 Ole Miss. The 6-foot deep threat, who's much more than just a deep threat, has two games with more than 130 receiving yards this season: 132 at Alabama and 134 against Mississippi State.
The wide receiver's first catch as a Bulldog went for a touchdown against South Carolina, way back in 2020. Later that season, he had a 55-yard reception against Cincinnati in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Smith would come up huge in the same bowl two years later, with a lot more on the line.
During Georgia's run to the 2021 national championship, Smith, then a redshirt freshman, played in four games, catching a 61-yard touchdown pass against UAB. A star track and field sprinter and jumper in high school, Smith ran for the Bulldogs as a redshirt freshman and helped set a couple of school records in the 4x100 relay at the SEC and NCAA outdoor meets.
When asked if he missed parts of being a track athlete, Smith, who won a Florida state championship in the 200, didn't hesitate before saying that he did.
"I love to run, man. I love the beauty of it. I find that it's an art," he said. "Everybody runs different, and it's just a beautiful thing, being able to run."
Smith said he also loves the math and science of running, how force and mass and cadence and all the other factors come together to determine a sprint or jump result.
If not for multiple injuries, Smith's career numbers would surely be much better. He's played in 41 career games and has a total of 51 catches for 1,042 yards and nine touchdowns. And in each of his five seasons of playing at least four games — he was limited to four in 2020 and 2021 — Smith's season-long reception went for at least 51 yards. This season, his longest catch is 55 yards, but the season's far from over.
"I think he brings consistency in terms of he's been in the offense — he understands it. He has vertical speed. He's become a much better route runner in this last couple years and he's worked hard to develop at that and grow at that," coach Kirby Smart said last week. "I'm just really happy for him and pleased for him to keep working."
Against Florida, with the game tied 20-20 in the fourth quarter and Georgia facing a third-and-7 at its 28-yard line, quarterback Carson Beck found his fellow fifth-year playmaker for a game-changing 34-yard gain to the Gator 38. Four plays later, the Bulldogs took the lead for good.
Smith had two catches for 59 yards and one carry for 4 yards that day. Two weeks before, in Georgia's 30-15 win at then-No. 1 Texas, he caught six passes for 32 yards, which doesn't seem like much, but one of the receptions was a huge 21-yarder on third-and-10 at the UGA 11 in the third quarter after the Longhorns had cut Georgia's lead to 23-15. The Bulldogs wound up marching 89 yards in 11 plays on that drive and scoring for a decisive two-score advantage.
It took a lot of work and growth and ups and downs, but Smith is exactly where he wants to be. He's a vital player on a talented team chasing another championship.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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