Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was noticeably emotional when it became clear that the Bulldogs would win the 2021 national championship. As Kelee Ringo returned the game-sealing interception for a touchdown, the former walk-on who battled for the starting job this season burst into tears before looking to hug anyone and everyone on his team’s sideline.
On Monday morning, less than 12 hours after Georgia won its first national title since 1980, Bennett was thrust back into the spotlight on Good Morning America.
Whatever sort of celebration happened among the Bulldogs between the final whistle and Bennett’s interview, clearly left the quarterback a bit dazed. When first asked by NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan whether he’d gotten any sleep last night, the 23-year-old stumbled over his answer.
“Yeah, you know a few hours… Not many,” Bennett responded with a grin. “Yeah, I’ve been wondering about… Yeah, no not many Michael.”
“You gotta bet on yourself.” — Stetson Bennett on his journey from walk-on player to @georgiafootball‘s starting quarterback!
Congrats to @universityofga on their big #NationalChampionship win. 👏 #GoDawgshttps://t.co/tMSQXrGRV4 pic.twitter.com/LnXErJXz7D
— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 11, 2022
Bennett certainly earned the right to celebrate Georgia’s impressive victory in any way he saw fit. He earned the game’s offensive MVP award after completing 17-of-26 passes for 224 yard and two touchdowns.
The performance was the culmination of a remarkable journey for Bennett who began as a walk-on at Georgia. He left after his freshman season to go to Jones Community College, but returned to the Bulldogs in 2018.
After battling for the starting job ever since, Bennett finally earned an opportunity when 2o21 starter JT Daniels was injured in September. Bennett held the gig for the rest of the season and helped lead Georgia to a national title.
When asked to talk about what he learned during his journey from walk-on to national champion on Good Morning America, Bennett preached about the importance of hard work.
“I think I always had a pretty conscious view of myself. I think I learned that life’s hard,” Bennett said. “You gotta work for what you want. You gotta bet on yourself… Other people might put some change on the odds, but that never really matters. You gotta work hard, love the people who’s around you and bet on yourself.
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