Coaches, teammates and opponents on the moments that have transformed Stetson Bennett

LOS ANGELES – Stetson Bennett IV, the sixth-year quarterback from Blackshear, Ga., who grew up attending Georgia games, will suit up one final time for the Bulldogs on Monday night when they play TCU for the national title at Sofi Stadium. He is looking to become the first quarterback to win consecutive national championships since A.J. McCarron did so for Alabama a decade ago. Over these two seasons, Bennett has become a testament to perseverance, not to mention a damn good quarterback.

At media day Saturday, players and coaches from both teams reflected on the moments that transformed Bennett in the face of so many people who didn’t believe him talented enough to accomplish what he has accomplished: 8,124 passing yards, 62 touchdowns against 21 interceptions, and a 64.3 completion percentage.

Todd Monken, Georgia offensive coordinator, brought up the fourth-quarter drive in the College Football Playoff Championship Game a year ago after Alabama converted Bennett’s fumble into a touchdown to take a 19-18 lead.

“The series we have against Alabama after he fumbled. We unloaded on the shots (long passes) and the specials, and he handled it and went right down the field (four plays, 75 yards). That says who he is. Not everybody’s capable of making a mistake and then, a little bit like last week, the interception that led (Ohio State to take) a 21-7 lead. We battle our way back and get ourselves to where we’re actually leading. If you said a moment in a game, that would be it.”

Joe Gillespie, TCU defensive coordinator, brought up Bennett’s third-and-10 scramble from Tennessee’s 13 for the Dawgs’ first touchdown in their 27-13 victory. Bennett fled to his right from blitzing linebacker Juwan Mitchell, raced around end Tyler Baron and beat safety Jaylen McCullough to the pylon.

“That one play stands out for me because I knew what he could do with his feet and the ability he has to extend the play. This guy was done. It was done and it was wrapped up and the play would have been the end of the series. They might have walked away with three points at best. And, really, it could have changed the complexity of the game.  He just tucked it and went right around his right side. The speed that he had, and he knew where he had to get to. I think that really deflated Tennessee at that point. They had a big-time play. They had him wrapped up for about a 10-yard loss. His strength, his sheer competitiveness, you got to see it all on that one play. From then on, you start watching for it all the time.”

After Bennett scored, he mimicked making a phone call, throwing shade at Vols fans who had gotten hold of his cell number and harassed him all week with calls. A year ago, Bennett reverted to a flip phone to prevent himself from the time-sucking distractions of the internet. Leland Barrow, a longtime member of the Georgia sports information staff:

“The flip phone sticks out in my head. That is him, how different he is. That was last year, to keep the noise out. But then, as the NIL world grew, he had to keep the real phone to deal with deals and such. NIL killed the flip phone, whether he’ll admit it or not. It’s not the fact that it was a flip; just the fact that he’s just so different than all the other cats. That’s a perfect example of how and why.”

Glenn Schumann, Georgia co-defensive coordinator:

“The physical skill set you noticed early, in terms of his ability to extend plays and cause problems. It’s well-documented going back to when we played in the (2018) Rose Bowl that he gave our defense fits when he was emulating Baker Mayfield as a scout team quarterback. If you go watch the film at Pierce County High, he’s running around all over the field and making those throws.”

Robert Beal Jr., Georgia linebacker and the only remaining Bulldog besides Bennett who made the trip to the Rose Bowl five years ago:

“Before he transferred (to a junior college), I already knew he was the guy. Listen, he was always the guy before he transferred. Talking about being real good, (leading) the scout team, giving us a look. I was always like, ‘Who is that short quarterback just threading the needle every day?’ He’d be threading the needle, running, passing, doing everything we needed him to. Who is that? They’d always tell me, ‘That’s the Mailman.’ … He always delivered.”

Georgia coach Kirby Smart:

“The point that he and his mom came into my office and said he just needed to go to junior college. He wanted to play. He thought he was good enough to play, he wanted to go play, and he knew there was no guarantee he was going to play at our place the next season. But he knew he could play. He went to Mississippi. They sat in my office with complete confidence. I didn’t doubt. I just didn’t know if it would be at Georgia. That conviction they had when they sat in my office should have said, ‘There’s something special about this guy.’ ”

Bennett played at Jones College in Ellisville, Miss., in 2018 and returned to Georgia in 2019, when he sat behind returning starter Jake Fromm. During the Covid season of 2020, Bennett shared the starting job with JT Daniels, and both players returned for 2021. Will Muschamp, Georgia co-defensive coordinator:

“When I got here a spring ago (2021), he was third-string. Todd Monken said it best: We kept telling him he wasn’t good enough and he kept proving us wrong. It’s a great story about resiliency and persistence. We don’t have a lot of that in our society right now. A guy that continued to stay at what he wanted and was not willing to compromise. I don’t think you can put one moment into it. I think you’ve got to look at the whole story.”

Schumann:

“You don’t really know what level of football instincts they have until they’re out there. He just is so impressive in that way. Stetson does an excellent job of you might fool him on something once. You don’t normally fool him again. He’s really smart, not just in terms of his natural intelligence as a person but in terms of football savvy. People would describe that as instincts. He has a great feel for where things are coming from.

“It’s like when you’re a little kid and you got the cards you put upside down and you match when you flip them over and find where they are. When he sees defenses, a lot of times he may miss it the first time, but he finds it the next time. There’s moments where we go ones vs. ones where he figures out exactly what we’re in and he gets our offense in the right play. He’s extremely athletic. He’s a competitor. He does a really good job of pushing the ball down the field, and he’s clutch in critical moments. In addition to that, he’s so savvy in the game of football. And that helps him always know where to go with the ball and what he wants to do with it. To be a great quarterback, you have to be able to do that.”

Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran:

“What defines Stetson is being in the facility, 10 or 11 at night, and I’m texting him about film, and then all of a sudden he walks into our (offensive line meeting) room, so you know he’s there, too. That’s what defines him. He’s a hard-working guy who puts a lot of time into football.”

Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh:

“When we were traveling here, guys are sleeping on the plane, and he’s sitting right in front of me. He’s sitting right in front of me, but he’s not asleep. He’s on the computer. He’s watching film. He’s got his notepad. He’s taking notes. He does what a pro quarterback does. He takes the time out of his day. It’s not the first time I’ve seen him do it. He’s watching film, taking notes. He’s dialed in, locked in. Guys feed off that energy. They see it. Who wouldn’t want to play for a guy who is putting his all into this game?”

Johnny Hodges, TCU linebacker:

“He made a pretty routine (76-yard) pass last weekend (to Arian Smith against Ohio State), but it was just such a big moment, putting a pass on the money, leading the receiver for a touchdown. I think it was probably under eight minutes in that game [8:41], they were down 10 [actually 11], and just him being able to stay calm, cool and collected. And obviously that last (game-winning) drive was just awesome. It’s really an honor to play against him. I can’t wait. He has a great story. I can’t wait to hit him. I can’t wait for him to throw a pass over my head. It’s just going to be awesome.”

Smart:

“I hope that moment hasn’t happened yet. I hope that defining moment is still ahead for him.”

There’s only one game left.