Stetson Bennett: 'I wasn't going to be the reason we lost tonight'

It has been an emotional journey for Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett. Following a 33-18 victory against Alabama in the national championship, he couldn’t help but let it show.

In a postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Bennett explained what he was feeling as tears fell down his eyes in the final seconds after Kelee Ringo sealed the victory with a 79-yard pick six.

“It just hit me,” he said. “I didn’t even watch Kelee score. As soon as he caught it, I just teared up. I wasn’t planning on it.”

Bennett’s national title victory nearly slipped out of his grasp thanks to a costly fumble early in the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide recovered and scored their first touchdown of the game on the ensuing drive to take an 18-13 lead.

But the quarterback wasn’t ready to accept another loss to Alabama. As soon as he got the ball back, he led the Bulldogs on a 75-yard touchdown drive in which he went 3-for-4 passing. That included the go-ahead a 40-yard connection with Adonai Mitchell for a score.

“I just knew there was going to be no way we were going to let a turnover like that stop us from winning the national championship,” Bennet said. “I wasn’t going to be the reason we lost tonight.”

Stetson Bennett grew up a Georgia fan and dreamed of one day becoming the Bulldogs quarterback. He joined the program as a preferred walk-on in 2017 before later transferring to junior college the following season. The quarterback later re-enrolled at Georgia in 2019.

Even after rejoining the Bulldogs, Bennett’s path was far from easy. He began the 2021 season as the backup to JT Daniels, but eventually took over as starter after Daniels suffered an injury. Even when Daniels returned, Bennett remained the starter.

He faced plenty of criticism after throwing a pair of interceptions in an SEC Championship loss to Alabama in December. Even then, he didn’t allow the noise to get in his head.

Bennett finished the national championship game 17-of-26 passing for 224 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The quarterback was named offensive player for the game for his performance.

He said postgame he wants his story to serve as inspiration to anyone else struggling to prove themselves.

“I hope it gives somebody a little hope,” he said. “Just keep fighting, keep your mouth shut and work hard. Life’s tough, you’ve just gotta fight through it.”

A fifth-year senior, it is unclear whether or not Stetson Bennett has played his final game for Georgia. But whether he sticks around for another season or not, his legacy in Athens is already cemented.

“I love this place. I love this team. I believe in myself and I love everything about this place. I wanted to win a national championship here.