When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure. With those words echoing in our hearts, we remember Sony Smart, the beloved father of Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart. On a somber Saturday morning, Sony passed away after complications from a fall, leaving behind a legacy not only as a high school coaching icon but also as a father who shaped Kirby into the man we admire today. The pain of such a loss is impossible to put into words, but in these quiet moments, it’s the love and support from family, friends, and fans that will light the way forward. While nothing can fill the space left by his absence, the light he brought into this world will never fade.

The football fraternity and the Georgia government reached out with their kind words and solidarity. “Marty, the girls, and I are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Sonny Smart. An incredible father and husband and a great coach in his own right, he was a constant presence at Georgia football games along with his wife Sharon. Sonny embodied the values and strength that we should all wish to have,” Georgia’s sitting governor, Brian P Kemp, issued a heart-melting note on X and urged fellow Georgia natives to keep the aggrieved family in their prayers. The New Orleans Bowl game week felt like a curse lately. The alleged terrorist attack claimed 15 lives at a time and sent shockwaves to the entire nation.

Although Sony Smart’s accidental death had nothing to do with the mass attack, it sets the somber tone together all around. Fans and the people close to the Smart family more acutely realized why it was important to keep the lost lives of the tragic accident above the apparent high-stakes Sugar Bowl. Life comes first, and football later, if at all. Arch rival Shane Beamer, the veteran South California coach, agrees on that, too.

Keeping aside all the on-field intricacy, the coach wholeheartedly has sent condolences and prayers for Kirby Smart and his family. ”I’ve known Kirby for 25 years and always enjoyed my interactions with his dad. He was a BALL COACH thru and through -and a competitor. I’m still recovering from the beatdown Coach Smart & my dad gave Kirby and I on the golf course in a “friendly” July 4 Father-Son match years ago,” wrote the 47-year-old.

The entire college football world is purging. But to see a death bridging the gap between rival coaches and blurring the boundaries between politics and sports is oddly overwhelming.

However, it’s not only the governor who is calling for mass prayers, the families themselves urged fans to stick by them platonically in the testing time.

Kirby Smart’s family asked fans to be with them in the ongoing bedevil

Kirby Smart has always been a father’s boy since his early childhood. Whatever he has achieved in his life, he owes it to his dad. Sony Smart, the Bainbridge High School coach, instilled a deep philosophy in coaching that still works as a guiding light before every game Kirby signs up for. No matter how hard the challenge is, having prepared your moves well can always do wonders, according to Papa Smart.

Kirby has followed that mantra like a guiding principle throughout his career, almost like a ritual. But even if he scores another big win, it won’t be the same. There won’t be that familiar face in the stands, eyes sparkling with pride, or that comforting pat on the back at family dinners. The one person who truly knew him in all the ways that matter won’t be there to share it.

The pain is inevitable, and so is the grieving. But the family seeks the support of the program’s biggest stakeholders, the fans, to see through their tragedy and be compassionate. Not only did they ask for empathy for their own family misfortune, but they also asked fans to be equally considerate of the brutal Notre Dame massacre.

The official statement of the UGA passively revealed Kirby Smart and his family’s one legit demand from the beloved fans. Even if they don’t ask, fans don’t think twice while pouring their love and light into the distressed family.

Georgia and Kirby Smart will heal from the unexplainable loss and will hopefully stage a better comeback in the season approaching.