WATCH: Stetson Bennett delivers fastball first pitch
Former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett threw out the first pitch for the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night before watching a fantastic game at Truist Park. The Braves won their home opener over the San Diego Padres 7-6 with a walk-off RBI from Orlando Arcia, the kind of exciting outing Bennett had several of during his Bulldog career.
Bennett led Georgia to back-to-back National Championships the last two years, becoming the first Georgia quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards in a single season while being named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
Now off to the NFL, Bennett believes in his ability – as he should. He’s seen as a Day Three pick coming somewhere in the fifth to seventh round range, but all it takes is one team to believe in him.
“It’s better football. You gotta play clean. It will be a new playbook. That will probably be the biggest thing right off the bat. New playbook, new verbiage. And then it’s the physical things. It’s a man’s league. Being able to avoid tackles, throw on time, accuracy,” Bennett told reporters during Georgia’s Pro Day. “At the end of the day when you boil it down, who’s the best football player. I know people get caught up on the combine stuff but football starts in August. That’s when we play football. It’s proven every day that you can be consistent so the coaches can trust you. And then being good enough to play whenever that comes.”
The NFL Draft is set for April 27th-29th in Kansas City, airing on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Bennett is one of the 13 available Bulldogs alongside running back Kenny McIntosh, wide receiver Kearis Jackson, tight end Darnell Washington, offensive linemen Warren Ericson, Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon, defensive lineman Jalen Carter, outside linebackers Robert Beal and Nolan Smith, cornerback Kelee Ringo, safety Christopher Smith and kicker Jack Podlesny.
Bennett’s Background
A native of Blackshear, Ga., Bennett spent five of his six collegiate seasons at Georgia. After joining the program as a walk-on in 2017 and drawing praise for his performance on the scout team, Bennett decided that the best option for him was to leave Athens and pursue other options, playing at Jones Community College in Ellisville, Miss. in 2018. There he led Jones to a 10-2 overall record, a Mississippi Bowl win and a MACJC conference championship game.
Bennett was headed to Louisiana Tech after his single season at the JUCO level, but then Georgia came calling again, this time with a scholarship to offer the quarterback. He backed up Jake Fromm in 2019 and started the 2020 season on the bench before having to save the day for the Bulldogs in the season-opener against Arkansas. Bennett completed 20 of 29 passes for 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also running in a 2-point conversion, earning his the starting job from that point forward. However, an injury – plus poor play – in the annual Georgia-Florida rivalry game sent him to the sideline once again, this time for good with JT Daniels starting each of the final four contests.
Daniels started three of the first four for Georgia in 2021 too, but in a twist of fate, he headed to the sideline due to a pair of injuries. That opened the door for Bennett once again who took advantage of the opportunity and earned himself the starting position the rest of the way on the way to Georgia’s first National Championship in 41 years. Bennett threw for 2,419 yards and 23 touchdowns in the final 11 games as the starter including 537 yards and five touchdowns in the College Football Playoffs. Doing so earned him Offensive MVP honors in both the semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl versus Michigan and the National Championship Game against Alabama.
Bennett returned for his final year of eligibility in 2022 and, he saved his best season for last. Throwing for a total of 4,127 yards and 27 touchdowns while adding another 10 scores on the ground, Bennett won MVP in each of Georgia’s postseason games – the SEC Championship, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the National Championship. He threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns and had a pair of rushing scores as well in the 65-7 title game win over TCU, tying a National Championship Game record for touchdowns accounted for. Bennett won the Burlsworth Award as the nation’s top former walk-on, was a Heisman Trophy finalist and took home the Manning Award after the season was over for the country’s top quarterback – including postseason performance in the evaluation.
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