Wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong.
I
could say it 100 more times, and “wrong” would be the right assessment. After
last year’s thrill of Georgia’s winning its first national championship in 41
years, I had some advice for Georgia’s quarterback Stetson Bennett IV. The
intermediary was his father, Stetson Bennett III.
No.
13’s dad and I go way back, as do four generations of the Bennett family. That’s
why I felt comfortable having a conversation with Stet III. I am hometown-proud
and protective of overachievers from our southeast corner of Georgia.
I will never forget the morning that
Stet III and IV huddled with me in a breakfast booth in the Mayflower in
downtown Athens. Stetson wanted me to spend some time with his son, the
“Mailman” of the Pierce County Bears. Despite IV’s flashy high-school success,
the Bulldogs weren’t offering him a scholarship. He had tickets to ride with
smaller schools, but Stetson had no interest in those.
There was nothing that I could do but
listen. And what I heard was an exceptional young man—athlete and
otherwise—talk of his dream, his passion, to be a Georgia Bulldog. You know the
story, the one that is scripted for Hollywood. He spurned other offers to walk
on where his heart had been since he learned to talk and chant, “Go, Dawgs!
Woof, woof!”
Somewhere, in a file somewhere, I have an old-school calendar with a date circled and penciled in, “7 a.m. Breakfast. Bennetts. Mayflower.” Since that morning, I have been a Stetson Bennett IV believer. You know the twists and turns over the past six years.
You also know what’s happened over the
past two years. Still a legion of Red and Black barkers—up to Monday night’s
game—wasn’t so sure No. 13 was the right quarterback for Georgia. Maybe
Stetson’s unsinkable spirit, leadership, gaudy record-breaking stats, five MVP
trophies and back-to-back national championships will change their minds.
What’s clear is that Stetson’s coaches and teammates love him. Add millions of
others to that list. And before Stetson ever took a quarterback’s snap, I loved
him and his dream. That’s why I must confess that I gave some bad advice to his
father.
I was wrong.
I was wrong to suggest Stet IV cap
his collegiate career with the 2021 National Championship. When you are on top
is a good time to walk away. I thought the risk/reward equation was out of
balance. There was more downside to No. 13’s return than upside. Stetson could
get hurt. The season might not go as well. He could lose his starting position
and tarnish what he had already accomplished. Capitalize on the value of his
storybook life. It’s Tinseltown-bound. One day he could land a Kirby
Smart-kind-of $100 million-dollar coaching contract, too. Nothing but blue
skies ahead.
My friend listened. Politely, Stetson
said, “Thanks. Stet’s 24 years old. He’s a man. I trust him to make the right
decision. Some believe that he could be the Herschel Walker of this generation.”
Imagine what could or would have
happened if Stet had taken my advice.
The Bulldog Nation and I are
ecstatic that No. 13 came back.
After Georgia’s 65-7 shellacking of
TCU, ESPN’s Rece Davis announced to his TV audience, “Stetson Bennett is an
all-time legend.”
Davis is right.
Now people—smarter than I am—are proclaiming
Stetson Fleming Bennett IV is the greatest quarterback in UGA’s Bulldog
history.
Last January, I was wrong to be
overprotective.
So, when you are wrong, it’s best to
admit it.
And Stetson III and IV, you have my
apologies.
Woof, woof!
