The Bulldogs’ bodyguards: Behind the scenes with Georgia football’s security detail

Recently promoted to lieutenant, Saddler first began working with the Georgia State Patrol about 22 years ago. In 2012, he was appointed to the Georgia football security detail. Four years later, he became the supervisor.

Now, he’s tasked with protecting one of Athens’ most beloved figures — Georgia head coach Kirby Smart.

Saddler’s gameday responsibilities begin on Friday, when Georgia football participates in a bonding activity that usually consists of dinner and a movie. On the night before the game, the officers dress in their Georgia gear and get to know the different personalities on the team.

Home officers, such as Saddler, travel with the team to away games in addition to guarding them in Athens. Saddler joked that the casual dress code is why there can be no rival fans on the Bulldogs’ security detail.

“You obviously don’t want somebody who’s a Florida fan on the Georgia detail who’s going to be walking around the hotel with a Florida shirt on,” Saddler said.

For those involved with the visiting team’s detail, such as Corporal Terrence Matthews, Friday nights are slightly different. Their main objective is to ensure the opposing team arrives safely in Athens.

Depending on the location of the visiting team, the detail will either meet at the airport or the state line to provide an escort. If something goes awry, the officers are there to assist, as was the case for one of Georgia’s most memorable home games.

“Tennessee caught a flat in the middle of the interstate when we were on our way to the hotel,” Matthews said of the Volunteers’ visit in November 2022. “And that was a challenging moment because the bus was disabled in the middle of the interstate in Atlanta at rush hour.”

Perhaps it was foreshadowing what was to come for the No. 1 ranked Volunteers, who got run out of a rain-soaked Sanford Stadium 27-13. From both the home and visiting sidelines, the game provided a night to remember.

“The Tennessee game was probably the loudest I’ve ever heard that stadium,” Saddler said.

The Sanford Stadium’s uproar topped 130 decibels that day — almost as loud as a jet plane taking off.

“The stadium was shaking,” Matthews said.

On the day of the game, Saddler and his group eat a pregame meal with the team. Around four to five hours before kickoff, they begin preparing transportation for the Dawg Walk. While the detail typically includes three trooper cars, they consolidate to one for the event.

From there, Saddler stays with Smart until after the game clock hits zero. He accompanies him past the thousands of fans lining up under the bridge, as well as onto the field for pregame warmups. He then goes into the locker room as the team gets ready for its big entrance and stays near him on the sideline during the game.

At halftime, Saddler follows Smart into the locker room, before returning to the sideline to do it all over again. During the break, Saddler sits in on Smart’s notorious locker room speeches.

“They are all the same,” Saddler said. “They all have a different motivation to them, and that’s what they are. They’re motivational speeches, and he’s very articulate.”

Following the game, Saddler is tasked with making sure Smart returns home safely. Once all of his media and recruiting obligations are fulfilled, Saddler drives the head coach back to his house.

“He is a man that practices what he preaches,” Saddler said of Smart. “He treats us like family. There’s no difference in how he treats us.”

For the visiting team’s security detail, gameday largely depends on the preferences of the opposing personnel. Their responsibilities are similar to that of the home side, with one glaring difference — they are protecting the opponents in Sanford Stadium, rather than the Bulldogs.

“Sometimes you might get a fan yelling,” Matthews said. “Adrenaline is high at the game, everybody’s excited. Sometimes, you might have one or two yelling at the opposing team over the fence. So we just try to just keep everybody moving, and we have assistance from the law enforcement in the stadium to keep the fans moving and not bother the opposing team.”

Matthews said all of the opposing coaches treat him well and are appreciative of his security team’s work. When asked if he had a favorite visiting head coach to work with, he said Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz is “pretty funny.”

Although the on-field action is officially over after the final whistle, the work of the visiting security detail has hardly begun. Following the game, they’ll escort the opposing team to its next destination, whether it’s a chaperone to the airport or a drop-off at the state line.

“We have some long days,” Matthews said. “I know people see us on the sideline, but after the game, some teams need to go back. So it’s challenging and rewarding for everyone, but it’s a team effort.”

Despite the long days, both Saddler and Matthews cherish the opportunity to build relationships with players and watch them grow throughout their time between the hedges. Saddler said the fostering of relationships is the most rewarding aspect of his job. He enjoys getting to see the joy within the players, especially when former Bulldogs return for a visit.

Saddler and Matthews also appreciate the opportunity to be a part of something that will forever be commemorated within the national championship plaques hanging in Sanford Stadium.

“Just to see that transition from when [a player] was younger to being an NFL player and being successful and reaching their goal,” Matthews said. “And just winning [the multiple] championships and knowing you were a part of that. You might not be on the field, but you’re a part of that winning tradition.”

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