Even at 47 years old, Kirby Smart of Georgia still has a youthful energy on the sidelines, even after 20 years of coaching college football. After a thrilling victory over Auburn in late September, he threw his visor into the crowd to celebrate with his team in the locker room, beaming broadly at the red-and-black-clad visiting supporters.

He’s not really changed all that much since he was a Georgia player. same enthusiasm for the game. same infinite energy. same hairstyle. same educational institution.

When Smart came to Athens as a freshman defensive back in 1994, both defensemen Smael Mondon and Javon Bullard had already passed away. But they are aware of the history. Mondon remembered being at a team-building meeting at camp last summer and seeing a video of Smart’s playing days. According to Bullard, sometimes they’ll look up Smart’s past highlights on their own and text them to make fun of their coach.

Every now and again, according to Mondon, Smart will brag about how he could have recovered an interception that they failed to catch.

“He’ll give you a painful scratch on your face,” Bullard grinned.

Maybe Smart would be better recognized as one of the best college football coaches of today, bearing two rings representing national championships. But he was among the SEC’s greatest players prior to it.

In addition to coaching Georgia against Florida State in the Orange Bowl on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN), Smart garnered first team All-SEC honors his senior year with the Bulldogs, hauling in a league-high five interceptions. And it came after as a junior, he led the league in picks with six.

ESPN spoke with over a dozen former teammates and coaches in an attempt to have a deeper understanding of Smart’s background. Collectively, they portrayed an impressive and motivated athlete who they believed would eventually excel as a coach. He was essentially a coach on the field already.

“Thirteen picks?” Regarding Smart’s final total, which is still among Georgia’s top 10, Bullard stated. “That defies argumentation. A fantastic career, a fantastic DB, and an incredible coach.”

Steve Dennis recalls the marching orders he received not long after defensive backs coach Ray Goff of Georgia hired him in the winter of 1993. “You need to go down there to Bainbridge and check out this DB,” Goff stated to him. Dennis didn’t think Kirby Smart was much of a physical specimen when he first arrived. At the time, he weighed barely 180 pounds and roughly 5 feet 11 inches tall. Dennis, however, thought Smart was quick and smart, and he enjoyed coming from a football family—the son of a well-known high school coach. Dennis said to Goff, “Hey, I want to coach him.” Smart made an immediate impression after signing with the in-state Bulldogs.

Richard Seymour, a defensive end for Georgia from 1997 to 2000 and a Pro Football Hall of Famer: First of all, you don’t see many white defensive backs, do you? Please understand that I am not making any slights. It just kind of stuck out, you know?

Georgia defensive back Corey Johnson (1993–1996): He lacked any kind of muscle tone or anything. “Man, is there somebody else at your high school that we really want?” would be your reaction. Or does your father coach and someone has a debt to him? As in, what brings you here?”