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Olivia Sayer
Georgia inside linebacker Smael Mondon, Jr. (2) makes a tackle during the second half of a NCAA college football game between Vanderbilt and Georgia at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. Georgia won 37-20. (Photo/ Mady Mertens; @MadyMertensPhotography)
Georgia football’s Smael Mondon Jr. had his charges of racing and reckless driving dismissed, his attorney Billy Healan told ESPN. The decision came during a hearing Monday at Athens-Clarke County Municipal Court, where Mondon pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of driving too fast for conditions.
The misdemeanor will not affect Mondon’s driving record, as it is a nonreportable traffic offense.
Healan said the senior linebacker paid a $500 fine and attended defensive driving and victim impact classes. In house, he was likely fined by Georgia’s NIL collective — a tactic head coach Kirby Smart revealed during SEC Media Days.
“We feel like this was the appropriate resolution,” Healan told ESPN. “Smael accelerated too fast, but he was not racing and wasn’t reckless. He has paid his fine, and he is ready to move on from here. Smael is scheduled to graduate in December and had no prior traffic incidents.”
The initial arrest occurred when Mondon and teammate Demello Jones were found in two vehicles “at a high rate of speed” and began racing one another, according to an Athens-Clarke County Police report.
The report also states Mondon claimed he did not know Jones to the officers. However, when Jones pulled over, he told police he was checking on his “teammate.”
Mondon played in 13 of the Bulldogs’ 14 games last season before an injury kept him out of the Orange Bowl against Florida State. He is expected to play a significant role on Georgia’s defense after announcing he will return for his fourth season with the Bulldogs.