Former Georgia Football Player Reveals Hilarious Kirby Smart Story

Elijah Holyfield shares a funny anecdote about his time playing under the intense Georgia head coach.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Former Georgia running back Elijah Holyfield recounts a hilarious story from his time playing under head coach Kirby Smart. Holyfield describes an incident where Smart challenged him during practice, leading Holyfield to run more aggressively and earn Smart's respect. Holyfield went on to have a successful career at Georgia, rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2018, before going undrafted and playing in the NFL and now exploring opportunities in professional wrestling.

Why it matters

The story provides a glimpse into Kirby Smart's intense coaching style and how he pushes his players, while also highlighting the bond that can form between a coach and his players when they buy into the program. Holyfield's success at Georgia and beyond also shows the program's ability to develop top talent under Smart's leadership.

The details

Holyfield recalls that during his early days playing for Smart, the coach would get upset when Holyfield would bounce runs to the outside instead of running straight ahead. Smart challenged Holyfield, calling him "soft" and asking if he was "scared." Holyfield took offense to the comments, and on the next run, he decided to run over everyone, leaving him with tears in his eyes. Smart then laughed and told Holyfield he might be able to beat the defense, but he couldn't beat Smart's "a**," walking away and earning Holyfield's respect.

  • Holyfield played at Georgia from 2016 to 2018, during the early years of Kirby Smart's tenure as head coach.
  • In 2018, Holyfield rushed for 1,018 yards, 6.4 yards per carry, and 7 touchdowns.

The players

Kirby Smart

The head football coach at the University of Georgia, known for his intense coaching style and ability to develop top talent.

Elijah Holyfield

A former running back at the University of Georgia who played under Kirby Smart from 2016 to 2018, rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2018 before going undrafted and playing in the NFL and now exploring opportunities in professional wrestling.

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What they’re saying

“My first couple runs, I was kind of bouncing it to the outside every single time. He was kind of getting upset about (it). He's like, 'What, are you scared?' He's like, 'Are you soft?' And those words to me are like you're calling me a b***h?'”

— Elijah Holyfield, Former Georgia Running Back (SI.com)

“I'm like, 'What do you mean? I am sorry, I'm starting to get a little upset now.' So the next run, I'm like, 'I'm just gonna try to run over everybody.' So I'm just in there, just hitting people, and by the end, I'm like got tears in my eyes and stuff. He comes back laughing...and said you might beat their a** you won't beat my a** and walks away from me, and that's when I knew he's good.”

— Elijah Holyfield, Former Georgia Running Back (SI.com)

The takeaway

Kirby Smart's intense coaching style and ability to push his players has helped develop top talent at Georgia, as evidenced by Elijah Holyfield's successful career. The story highlights the bond that can form between a coach and player when they both buy into the program's mission and culture.