Stetson Fleming Bennett IV
All that he’s done. What he means to Georgia. What he means to all of us… It’s too much to take in.
Because if we’re honest, we’re all Stetson Bennett.
A kid who just wanted to play football for Georgia. The same kid who said, after winning the SEC Championship and the game’s MVP award on Saturday night, that he knew “how hard it was to play for the University of Georgia,” and now he’d “do almost anything to win.” Yea. That sounds a lot like me in my backyard as a kid, recreating iconic Georgia football plays, dreaming of winning National Championships.
And that’s exactly what Stetson Bennett is doing. Winning. All the time. And having the time of his life doing it. He’s not just living his own dream. He’s living all of our dreams.
There are countless things I love about Stetson. One of the most incredible things about him is how he makes people believers - myself included - when they’ve worked so hard to dismiss him. I did. I never thought he could do the things he’s done. He changed my mind completely. After all this time, I’ve learned it is in the best interest of his critics to just be quiet, or Stetson will eventually make you look stupid.
No one in college football has ever proven people wrong like he has. The evidence is undeniable. To not embrace his greatness is to choose to be miserable. Stetson Bennett is an elite quarterback, an exceptional athlete, and a winner. From walk-on to WINNER. That’s who he is.
27-3 as a starter
13-0 in Sanford Stadium
2-0 against #1 ranked teams
2-0 in the College Football Playoff
Orange Bowl champion
Orange Bowl MVP
National Champion
National Championship game MVP
SEC Champion
SEC Championship game MVP
Burlson Award winner
And now…Heisman finalist. Stetson Bennett, the walk-on from Blackshear, GA, is a finalist for the Heisman Memorial Trophy. And he absolutely deserves to be there. Take a second to breathe in how proud you are of him, how proud you are of Georgia, how proud you are to be a Dawg.
Speaking of the Heisman, Stetson’s mystique all began when he impersonated Heisman winner, Baker Mayfield, on the scout team to help the Dawgs prepare for Mayfield before the 2018 Rose Bowl. After the win, countless players and coaches gave credit to the Mailman for the game plan being executed successfully.
It was eerily peculiar then. It’s legendary now.
Stetson then bested the seemingly untouchable Heisman winner, Bryce Young, in the 2021 National Championship game, and he statistically outpaced Young in every major QB category in the two playoff games combined.
This season, when comparing the Heisman finalists’ performances against Top 25 opponents, Stetson looks like the juggernaut on the stat sheet - in 5 games, he has a 73.1% completion percentage, 1472 yards (only Caleb Williams has more), 13 TD/2 INT, 4 rushing TD, and a lethal 185.21 QBR.
In case you didn’t know, those numbers are ridiculous…
Most importantly, Stetson Bennett is the only one of the finalists who is undefeated in Top 25 matchups this year, a perfect 5-0 record in those games. For this and countless other reasons, he absolutely deserves to be in New York.
On November 5, 2022 he was the superstar QB on the field, not Hendon Hooker. Why? Probably because nobody said he would be beforehand, and Stetson just needed to “call” them out.
Late this season, when the offense was sputtering and fatigued, it was Stetson who stepped up…even without that fresh Stequavious fade…to rekindle the flame-throwing Dawgs offense, hanging half a hundo on LSU in a dominant SEC Championship victory, tying the SEC Championship game record for passing TDs in the first half (4) in the process. Stetson and the Dawgs STOPPED scoring at 50, an absolutely spectacular performance by the Mailman, who delivered dots and dimes all over the field, basically scoring touchdowns at will. Heisman worthy, indeed.
And none of us will forget, when the 40 year curse so desperately needed to be broken, it was Stetson who took over the last 10 minutes of the 4th quarter in Indy, playing nearly perfect football, including throwing TDs to AD and Brock to put the game - and the curse - to rest.
He’s been a Duck slayer, a Vol killer, and a Tiger tamer. A Wolverine trapper and a Bama breaker.
And he’s soon to be a Big Ten destroyer. A back to back National Champion.
Because when the stage is the biggest, that’s when Stetson shines the brightest. Call it playing with a chip on his shoulder; I call it doing what ELITE QBs do.
We, far too often, have no clue what we’ve got in him. Make no mistake, after the next two games, all of us in Dawg Nation will miss him…to use Kirby’s favorite word…tremendously.
But I think in some ways the Stetson saga is like looking in the mirror. He is a metaphor for us all. Stetson embodies a new way, a new era, a beautiful, yet still a little uncomfortable destiny for us to step into. We doubt him because we doubt in ourselves that Georgia can really, actually be this great. But what if he just is? What if we just are? I think there’s something in us as Georgia fans that is being awakened, despite all the understandable doubt and history and fear of being too small, too inconsistent, fear of the inevitable letdown. It’s a belief that we’re not (that Georgia is not) what people have always said about us. Not anymore. We are elite. We belong. We’ve got the Natty to prove it. And as Munson would say, we are “knocking on the door” again.
That belief, that expectation to be great, to win, to win championships, to beat EVERYBODY, to overcome the odds, prove people wrong, and realize who we are, who we’ve always been, that thing deep down inside? That’s the Stetson Bennett in us. The rest of the country might not have seen us coming - not like this - because, for example, there’s no way we can win it all again, right?! But we always knew. Because it’s always been in us. We’ve earned this. We deserve this. This is who we are.
Just like Stetson.
Embrace it, Dawg Nation. Enjoy it. Soak up every last drop with a biscuit. These are historic days we are living in, and much of it has to do with our fairy-tale QB. Don’t take this for granted. Don’t take him for granted. His is a mysterious greatness. A greatness you didn’t expect, a greatness that keeps changing people’s minds. He’s the hero we didn’t know we needed. The one we deserve.
The story of Stetson Bennett IV is too much to take in. It’s not just a great college football story. It’s one of the greatest stories in the history of sports. Rarest of the rare. A walk-on to a National Champion? A walk-on to a Heisman finalist? A walk-on to possible back to back national titles? We’ll all tell our grandkids about it one day, while watching scenes from his movie or the 30 For 30, and we’ll say, “Yea, I can’t believe I witnessed it all.”
In the meantime, I just hope we all learn to cherish the living legend who is leading our beloved Dawgs for the short time he has left as Georgia’s QB. Don’t miss the moment.
With all the challenges that lie ahead in the 2022 CFP, give me the poise of Stetson and the swag of Stequavious for just two more games. For two more wins.
Two more wins, and 13 will forever silence the only remaining doubters.
And so will we. Because after all, we’re all Stetson Bennett.
Go Dawgs
All that he’s done. What he means to Georgia. What he means to all of us… It’s too much to take in.
Because if we’re honest, we’re all Stetson Bennett.
A kid who just wanted to play football for Georgia. The same kid who said, after winning the SEC Championship and the game’s MVP award on Saturday night, that he knew “how hard it was to play for the University of Georgia,” and now he’d “do almost anything to win.” Yea. That sounds a lot like me in my backyard as a kid, recreating iconic Georgia football plays, dreaming of winning National Championships.
And that’s exactly what Stetson Bennett is doing. Winning. All the time. And having the time of his life doing it. He’s not just living his own dream. He’s living all of our dreams.
There are countless things I love about Stetson. One of the most incredible things about him is how he makes people believers - myself included - when they’ve worked so hard to dismiss him. I did. I never thought he could do the things he’s done. He changed my mind completely. After all this time, I’ve learned it is in the best interest of his critics to just be quiet, or Stetson will eventually make you look stupid.
No one in college football has ever proven people wrong like he has. The evidence is undeniable. To not embrace his greatness is to choose to be miserable. Stetson Bennett is an elite quarterback, an exceptional athlete, and a winner. From walk-on to WINNER. That’s who he is.
27-3 as a starter
13-0 in Sanford Stadium
2-0 against #1 ranked teams
2-0 in the College Football Playoff
Orange Bowl champion
Orange Bowl MVP
National Champion
National Championship game MVP
SEC Champion
SEC Championship game MVP
Burlson Award winner
And now…Heisman finalist. Stetson Bennett, the walk-on from Blackshear, GA, is a finalist for the Heisman Memorial Trophy. And he absolutely deserves to be there. Take a second to breathe in how proud you are of him, how proud you are of Georgia, how proud you are to be a Dawg.
Speaking of the Heisman, Stetson’s mystique all began when he impersonated Heisman winner, Baker Mayfield, on the scout team to help the Dawgs prepare for Mayfield before the 2018 Rose Bowl. After the win, countless players and coaches gave credit to the Mailman for the game plan being executed successfully.
It was eerily peculiar then. It’s legendary now.
Stetson then bested the seemingly untouchable Heisman winner, Bryce Young, in the 2021 National Championship game, and he statistically outpaced Young in every major QB category in the two playoff games combined.
This season, when comparing the Heisman finalists’ performances against Top 25 opponents, Stetson looks like the juggernaut on the stat sheet - in 5 games, he has a 73.1% completion percentage, 1472 yards (only Caleb Williams has more), 13 TD/2 INT, 4 rushing TD, and a lethal 185.21 QBR.
In case you didn’t know, those numbers are ridiculous…
Most importantly, Stetson Bennett is the only one of the finalists who is undefeated in Top 25 matchups this year, a perfect 5-0 record in those games. For this and countless other reasons, he absolutely deserves to be in New York.
On November 5, 2022 he was the superstar QB on the field, not Hendon Hooker. Why? Probably because nobody said he would be beforehand, and Stetson just needed to “call” them out.
Late this season, when the offense was sputtering and fatigued, it was Stetson who stepped up…even without that fresh Stequavious fade…to rekindle the flame-throwing Dawgs offense, hanging half a hundo on LSU in a dominant SEC Championship victory, tying the SEC Championship game record for passing TDs in the first half (4) in the process. Stetson and the Dawgs STOPPED scoring at 50, an absolutely spectacular performance by the Mailman, who delivered dots and dimes all over the field, basically scoring touchdowns at will. Heisman worthy, indeed.
And none of us will forget, when the 40 year curse so desperately needed to be broken, it was Stetson who took over the last 10 minutes of the 4th quarter in Indy, playing nearly perfect football, including throwing TDs to AD and Brock to put the game - and the curse - to rest.
He’s been a Duck slayer, a Vol killer, and a Tiger tamer. A Wolverine trapper and a Bama breaker.
And he’s soon to be a Big Ten destroyer. A back to back National Champion.
Because when the stage is the biggest, that’s when Stetson shines the brightest. Call it playing with a chip on his shoulder; I call it doing what ELITE QBs do.
We, far too often, have no clue what we’ve got in him. Make no mistake, after the next two games, all of us in Dawg Nation will miss him…to use Kirby’s favorite word…tremendously.
But I think in some ways the Stetson saga is like looking in the mirror. He is a metaphor for us all. Stetson embodies a new way, a new era, a beautiful, yet still a little uncomfortable destiny for us to step into. We doubt him because we doubt in ourselves that Georgia can really, actually be this great. But what if he just is? What if we just are? I think there’s something in us as Georgia fans that is being awakened, despite all the understandable doubt and history and fear of being too small, too inconsistent, fear of the inevitable letdown. It’s a belief that we’re not (that Georgia is not) what people have always said about us. Not anymore. We are elite. We belong. We’ve got the Natty to prove it. And as Munson would say, we are “knocking on the door” again.
That belief, that expectation to be great, to win, to win championships, to beat EVERYBODY, to overcome the odds, prove people wrong, and realize who we are, who we’ve always been, that thing deep down inside? That’s the Stetson Bennett in us. The rest of the country might not have seen us coming - not like this - because, for example, there’s no way we can win it all again, right?! But we always knew. Because it’s always been in us. We’ve earned this. We deserve this. This is who we are.
Just like Stetson.
Embrace it, Dawg Nation. Enjoy it. Soak up every last drop with a biscuit. These are historic days we are living in, and much of it has to do with our fairy-tale QB. Don’t take this for granted. Don’t take him for granted. His is a mysterious greatness. A greatness you didn’t expect, a greatness that keeps changing people’s minds. He’s the hero we didn’t know we needed. The one we deserve.
The story of Stetson Bennett IV is too much to take in. It’s not just a great college football story. It’s one of the greatest stories in the history of sports. Rarest of the rare. A walk-on to a National Champion? A walk-on to a Heisman finalist? A walk-on to possible back to back national titles? We’ll all tell our grandkids about it one day, while watching scenes from his movie or the 30 For 30, and we’ll say, “Yea, I can’t believe I witnessed it all.”
In the meantime, I just hope we all learn to cherish the living legend who is leading our beloved Dawgs for the short time he has left as Georgia’s QB. Don’t miss the moment.
With all the challenges that lie ahead in the 2022 CFP, give me the poise of Stetson and the swag of Stequavious for just two more games. For two more wins.
Two more wins, and 13 will forever silence the only remaining doubters.
And so will we. Because after all, we’re all Stetson Bennett.
Go Dawgs
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