Photo from Google Images
Even if you are not a college football fan, if you see the name ‘Stetson Bennett’ trending, you know it’s about college football in the South. This kid was born with a name to play football in the SEC and his story is a script I hope Clint Eastwood turns it into a Hollywood movie.
The SEC has won five of the eight College Football Playoff Championships since the CFP started in 2014. The University of Alabama has played in six of those National Championship games and won three. In 2018, Bama beat Georgia 26-23 in OT for the National Championship. Fast forward to 2022 where Bama and Georgia met again. Georgia had not won a National Championship since 1980. And once again, Bama owned Georgia in the SEC Championship game winning 41-24 last month.
(Side note: I would like to point out that the University of Tennessee and Auburn are the only two teams in the country that have to play both Alabama and Georgia EVERY year.)
Bryce Young was Alabama’s highest-ranked QB recruit in Alabama history and the current Heisman Trophy winner. He was the backup in last year’s 2021 CFP National Championship victory. The true sophomore has had the recognition and praise his entire football life for being great.
At the age of three, Stetson Bennett IV told his Dad he would be the starting QB at UGA. Bennett was only a two-star recruit and in 2017 he was a walk on quarterback for Georgia and on the sidelines when Georgia lost the 2018 National Championship to Bama. In 2018, Bennett was named the backup and transferred to Jones County College. In 2019, Bennett transferred back to Georgia (on scholarship) and was named the backup again to Jake Fromm. In 2020, he was the backup to JT Daniels. Bennett was described as “Shorter QB who is listed under 6 feet.” “Lacks Stature.” “Has average arm strength.” “Projects as a backup QB at a Power 5 level.” Bennett bet on himself.
Georgia LB Quay Walker said “I mean Stetson Bennett has a flip phone. I don’t think he cares too much about the outside noise.” At the start of the season, Bennett traded in his Iphone for a flip phone to cut out distractions and focus on football.
"They actually still sell them at Verizon stores, apparently a lot of old people still use them."
Stetson Bennett talked about his flip phone during #CFBPlayoff Media Day. pic.twitter.com/T2cnyXeKmD
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 8, 2022
In 2021, Bennett’s dream came true and he was named the starting quarterback for the University of Georgia and in 2022, he erased a 41-year drought for Georgia fans by winning the National Championship. Bennett also won Offensive MVP. It was an emotional victory for the quarterback who has been an underdog his entire career and a role model for anyone who has a dream. “Keep fighting. Keep your mouth shut, work hard. Life is tough, you just gotta fight through it.” You don’t have to have followers on social media to be a winner, you don’t even have to have a smartphone. You just need to bet on yourself.
Bennett is the first walk-on QB to beat a Nick Saban coached team since 1997. The late fourth quarter comeback by the dawgs will cement Bennett as a legend in the history books. And that 33-18 win over the University of Alabama and Nick Saban means Stetson Bennett IV will never have to pay for a beer in the state of Georgia ever again.
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