Former Georgia Bulldog Nolan Smith Honored at Georgia State Capitol

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One former UGA Football player has had quite the last five weeks.

Nolan Smith, the former Georgia edge rusher, was honored at the Georgia State Capitol today for his athletic achievements at three different levels of football. The House passed a resolution on him, which is a formal honoring of one’s achievements. 

Many know Smith as one of the highest-ranked high school recruits ever that came out of football powerhouse IMG Academy, but the Savannah native went to Calvary Day School in his home town before heading to Florida to further his football development. 

After IMG, he went to UGA where he played four years and became a two-time national champion and a Southeastern Conference Champion. 

He was a first round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles. In just his second season in the league, he broke the Eagles’ franchise record for sacks in a single postseason run and went on to help the franchise win the Super Bowl last month. 

In a short amount of time, Smith has accomplished more than most football players will in their lifetime. 

In Smith’s acceptance speech, he talked about how he wants to give back to children via the Nolan Smith Foundation. 

“I’m just trying to do my part and give back and tell a kid ‘you know I can help you, you help him,’ and then as a generation maybe we keep helping each other and be better,” Smith said at the State Capitol. 

He rounded out his acceptance speech by saying “Deeply from the bottom of my heart, God bless y’all and Go Dawgs.”

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