UGA Football LB Smael Mondon Drafted No. 161 Overall By The Philadelphia Eagles
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GREEN BAY - Another Georgia Bulldog linebacker is off to the NFL.
Butkus Award winner Jalon Walker was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1st round on Thursday night, and now it’s Smael Mondon who hears his name called with the No. 161 overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles.
A former five-star prospect out of Paulding County (GA) who chose Georgia over Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, among others, Mondon was a multi-year starter for the Bulldogs who deserves a ton of credit for what he was able to accomplish in college.
He battled through injuries here and there throughout his career but was still an impact defender who made big plays when he was able to stay on the field. An impressive overall athlete with strong instincts, Mondon was a consistent defender who really shined in big moments, especially down the stretch in the 2022 season.
Mondon won two national championships and two SEC Championships during his four-year career at Georgia.
He made 213 career tackles, 17.5 TFLs, eight sacks, and one INT that came against LSU in the 2022 SEC Championship. Against Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, Mondon made seven tackles and a big early sack.
2024:
Appeared in 10 games this season, making eight starts...ranked seventh on the team in total tackles wiht 57...tied for third of all Bulldog tacklers with three sacks on the season against Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame...posted a team-leading and career-high 13 tackles and a sack for loss in regular season finale win over Georgia Tech...tallied five tackles, including 0.5 for loss and a pass breakup against Alabama...led the Bulldog defense with eight tackles, including a sack for a loss of five yards, in win over Tennessee...had six tackles, four solo stops, and a pair of QB pressures in SEC Championship victory over Texas...led all Bulldog tacklers with nine stops, including a sack for a loss of 11 yards, and one QB pressure in College Football Playoff Allstate Sugar Bowl Semifinal game against Notre Dame...included on the Senior Bowl, Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Butkus Award watch lists...named to the AP Preseason All-SEC and Coaches Preseason All-SEC second teams.
2023:
Coaches All-SEC Second Team selection...saw action in 13 games this season including 11 starts at LB…ranked second on the team with 68 tackles…credited with five tackles for a combined loss of 22 yards, including three sacks for a loss of 16 yards…had one pass breakup and two QB hurries…posted a team-leading four tackles, three of which were solo, in win over Ball State...tallied a team-high five tackles, including four solo, along with four QB hurries in win over South Carolina to open SEC play...notched four stops and a pass breakup in home win over UAB...had a team-leading 11 tackles, seven solo and four assists, to tie his career high with two tackles for a loss of 11 total yards, including a sack for a loss of seven, in SEC road win over Auburn and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week...tallied a team-high six tackles, including four solo and a sack for a loss of six yards, with one quarterback hurry in win at Vanderbilt...had five tackles, including two for a combined loss of five yards, in win over Florida...one of three Bulldogs to notch a team-high seven stops, including six solo tackles, in win over Missouri...had four stops in home win over Ole Miss...credited with four tackles in win over Tennessee...one of two Bulldogs to tally a team-leading eight tackles, including five solo stops, in regular-season finale win over Georgia Tech...one of two Bulldogs to post a team-leading eight tackles, including three solo stops, in the SEC Championship against Alabama...named to Preseason Media Days All-SEC Second Team...included on Butkus Award Watch List.
2022:
Played in 13 of 15 games, starting at LB in all 13...led the team in tackles with 76 total stops, despite missing two games because of injury...had 8.0 tackles for lost yardage and 23 QB hurries...had three tackles and a QB hurry in season-opening win over No. 11 Oregon...team-high four tackles, including one for a 4-yard loss, in win over Samford...had four solo tackles, one for loss, and three QB hurries in win at South Carolina...six tackles in win over Kent State...missed the Auburn and Vandy games due to injury...returned after a 2-game absence to get seven tackles in win over Florida...had four tackles and two QB hurries in win over Tennessee...led team with eight tackles in win at Mississippi State...career-high 11 tackles in win at Kentucky...led all tacklers with six stops, 1.5 for lost yardage, in win over Georgia Tech...first career interception and had six tackles with three QB hurries in SEC Championship Game vs. LSU...had seven tackles, including one for a loss of 10 yards, and six QB hurries in win over Ohio State in the CFP Semifinal Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl...led all tacklers with five tackles and had one QB hurry in CFP National Championship Game win over TCU.
2021:
Played in all 15 games to date as a reserve DB and also on kick return and coverage units...finished with 12 total stops...season-high four tackles, including a QB sack for a 12-yard loss and a tackle in kickoff coverage, in the Bulldogs’ win over Charleston Southern...three tackles, including one in punt coverage, in win over Missouri...credited with two tackles in Georgia’s win over UAB...had one tackle in win at Vanderbilt...enrolled at UGA in January 2021 and participated in spring drills...had five tackles for the Red team in G-Day intrasquad game.