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Brock Bowers Reveals What Kirby Smart Said After Georgia’s 2021 Loss to Alabama

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 12:16 PM ET

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers recently opened up about one of the toughest moments in his college career — Georgia’s 2021 SEC Championship Game loss to Alabama. Appearing on the "Bussin With The Boys" podcast, hosted by former NFL players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, Bowers shared a rare glimpse into how coach Kirby Smart handled the crushing defeat behind closed doors.

Georgia entered the game undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the nation, but fell 41–24 to No. 3 Alabama. Despite the loss, the Bulldogs still secured the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff, eventually defeating Michigan in the semifinals and avenging their loss to Alabama in the national title game. But in that immediate aftermath, emotions were raw.

“I mean, there’s not much you can say. Everyone’s in a [expletive] mood. Everyone knows we lost,” Bowers said, recalling the atmosphere in the locker room. “Everyone's like, '[Expletive], like, what could we do better?'”

Instead of unleashing a fiery tirade, Smart took a different approach.

“We're just like, 'All right, we'll go watch the film. We'll go see what the committee wants to do, and we'll see if we're in the playoffs or not. There’s nothing we can do about it now.’ He's like, 'All the stuff's done. You can't do anything about it now.'”

According to Bowers, Smart understood that the moment didn’t call for yelling. “Everyone was in such a terrible mood. There was no reason to go and rip someone’s ass. You’re already down,” he said. “We got to see what we got to do next.”

Bowers praised Smart’s ability to strike the right tone, even in defeat. “He’s always super consistent. I mean, he’ll definitely rip you, but like you know deep down, he only wants the best for you.”

It’s that balance, intensity with empathy, that helped Smart lead Georgia to back-to-back national championships.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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