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By Brian Jones
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Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart wants schools to do one big thing for the athletes who have to deal with NIL.
On his radio show Thursday, Smart urged schools to provide more mental health support. The two-time national champion coach said athletes face a lot of mental stress due to the money they are earning.
“I think these kids are at an all-time high of mental stress,” Smart said, via On3's Nick Schultz. “They have stressors at home. A lot of them make NIL money that’s large money for a college athlete. And they get pressure from home; people reach out. … People you don’t even know come out of the woodworks because they find out what they make, and they want to tap in. There’s no greater pressure than to feel like you have to support not your immediate family; you’ve got to support your outside family.
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Kirby Smart Wants Athletes to be in a 'Good Headspace'
“They carry a heavy burden. I don’t think anybody in the country does enough to support them mentally and just making sure that they’re where they need to be, in a good headspace. They deal with a lot of outside pressure – pressure that we didn’t deal with.”
Smart has a few players that have an NIL valuation of at least $1 million. QB Gunner Stockton's NIL valuation is set at $2 million, while OL Earnest Greene and DL Elijah Griffin have $1 million NIL valuations.
Smart made the comments as Georgia continues its quest to win its third national title in six seasons. The Bulldogs are currently No. 2 in the College Football Playoff Rankings and are the reigning back-to-back SEC champions.
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