Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. apologized Monday for his arrest in May for speeding and reckless driving in his first public comments since the incident.
According to the Twiggs County (Georgia) Sheriff's Office, Smith was clocked going 135 mph in a 70 mph zone on the interstate at 10:41 p.m. on May 15.
"I apologized to the organization, and I'll make that apology now," Smith told reporters Monday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I represent the Eagles no matter where I go, Georgia, Florida, it doesn't matter. That's one of the ones that I own up and I apologize for. It's just like that. We make mistakes and it can't happen again and that's unacceptable. I did apologize to [general manager] Howie [Roseman], I did apologize to [owner] Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie, and I can't let my teammates down like that. They hold me to a different accountability on and off the field."
A court date for the case was set for July 14. Smith didn't need to appear if he paid the fines associated with the citations, and he said Monday that "nothing came from" his arrest.
Smith, 25, was selected by the Eagles in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, reuniting with other key members from a dominant Georgia defense including Jalen Carter, Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis. He posted 6.5 regular-season sacks in 2024 and four more in the playoffs during the Eagles' Super Bowl run. Smith has 10.5 sacks, 25 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for loss over three seasons in Philadelphia.
ESPN's Tim McManus contributed to this report.
