Philadelphia Eagles' Nolan Smith Jr. arrested for allegedly driving 135 mph in Georgia
Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. was arrested in Georgia last week for driving 135 mph in a 70 mph zone, The Associated Press reports.
Smith, who won two national championships with the University of Georgia and a Super Bowl with the Eagles, was charged with speeding and reckless driving on Interstate 16 in Twiggs County last Friday, CBS affiliate WMAZ-TV reported. He was taken to Twiggs County Jail and was released on bond.
The arrest is the second time Smith has been charged with speeding. In 2022, the Athens Banner-Herald reported that Smith was arrested outside Athens, Georgia, and charged with two traffic violations for going 89 mph, which was 44 mph over the speed limit.
Smith, a Savannah, Georgia, native, had 31 tackles and three sacks in 11 games last season as he dealt with a triceps injury that he suffered in the team's Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
In 45 games over three seasons, Smith has 91 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 25 quarterback hits. In the team's Super Bowl run in 2024, Smith had four sacks, which is the franchise record for most sacks in a single postseason.
Smith, 25, was selected by the Eagles with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft not long after the Birds drafted his college teammate, Jalen Carter.
The Eagles exercised the fifth-year option on Smith and Carter's rookie contracts in April, which will keep them in Philadelphia through the 2027 season.
In 2023, Carter was given 12 months probation and a $1,000 fine after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in connection with a crash that killed Georgia teammate Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy.
The Associated Press reports that Smith has a court date scheduled for July 15, but a sheriff's office representative said he will not need to appear if he pays his fines.
CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to the Eagles for comment, but we've yet to hear back. The Eagles begin organized team activities Tuesday.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said in a news conference that he found out about the news Thursday morning.
"Coach addressed it today, I didn't find out about it until this morning, but yeah, we'll address it with him at some point," Fangio said.