Ex-player claims racism, manipulation at Georgia
ATLANTA — Former Georgia defensive back Otis Reese says he left the school because of racist treatment on campus and coach Kirby Smart manipulated him to continue playing for the Bulldogs last season after he expressed his intention to transfer.
Reese transferred to Mississippi in January after two seasons at Georgia and is awaiting an NCAA ruling on his request for a waiver to play immediately.
Georgia, which is ranked fourth in the country, denied the allegations and said it would share its full response to Reese’s waiver application if he is granted permission.
Reese said he decided to transfer because his 1 1⁄ years
2 at Georgia “took a devastating mental toll on me. From my first moment I stepped on campus, it was not what I expected. The racist events that I kept experiencing weighed on me heavily and seemed never-ending.”
He said he told Smart on Oct. 4 of last season that he planned to leave Georgia. The Bulldogs were 4-0 at the time and ranked third in the country.
“I was led to believe by Coach Smart that if I finished the season and not ‘let my team down’ as he requested, he would support both my decision to transfer and my request to be immediately eligible,” Reese said.