Stetson Bennett addresses whether Georgia has a culture problem given troubling off-field issues

After winning the national championship in January, the Georgia Bulldogs football program has been in the news for some troubling reasons. Some have been questioning whether or not these issues suggest a much bigger problem for the Bulldogs; a culture problem. But the former leader of that locker room, quarterback Stetson Bennett wasn’t going for any of that. At the 2023 NFL Combine, the former Georgia signal caller addressed the issues explaining off-field issues do not equal a culture problem.

“Uh, no. You know, those were individual mistakes that those individuals are responsible for; not a culture issue,” said Bennett.

Despite Georgia coming off an undefeated season where they completed their quest to become back-to-back national champions, the talk surrounding the program has been primarily focused on their off season woes. In Jan, Bennett was arrested for public intoxication while he was in Dallas. And likely first-round pick defensive lineman Jalen Carter. It was recently revealed that Carter was allegedly involved in the car accident that claimed the lives of Bulldogs offensive lineman Devin Wilcock and team staffer Chandler LeCroy.

For Bennett, the incidents, although involving Georgia players, are not a direct representation of the program itself. And for individuals looking to draw a line correlating that tragic event to a culture problem in Athens, their former star quarterback is not interested in being a part of that.

Bennett discussing his meeting with Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NFL Combine

Bennett is one of the more intriguing prospects at the 2023 NFL Combine, but not because he’s going to be a first-round pick or likely to start right away on a QB-needy team. It’s more about the diminutive stature and recent public intoxication arrest that make him a perplexing prospect, despite being at the helm for back-to-back national championships at Georgia.

One team, it seems, is intent on seeing a clearer picture of what they might get with Bennett: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And with Tom Brady retired and the only other quarterback on the roster being Kyle Trask, the Buccaneers are very much in need of a quarterback.

“Met with them, thought it went pretty well. They asked me some questions, wondering about the incident, answered them,” Bennett said. “Asked me about football, asked me about life, tried to figure out who I was. I thought it went well.”