'A testament to hard work': UGA QB Stetson Bennett IV hailed as a hero after championship win

It took more than 40 years for the Georgia Bulldogs to claim another national football championship. 

In years to come, this team will be remembered as the one that gave Kirby Smart his first title, the "no-name" elite defense, and, of course, the leader of the pack, an undersized underdog quarterback, Stetson Bennett. 

In his hometown, Blackshear, Georgia, the unlikely hero is now a small-town celebrity.

There are only a handful of traffic lights in the little town, the county seat of Pierce County, best known for the occasional train coming through town and the annual pecan festival in the city park, but now they can now add to that list, "Hometown of Georgia Quarterback and College Football National Champion Stetson Bennett IV." 

It was at Pierce High School stadium where Stetson earned his stripes and improved his skillset at quarterback on Football Friday nights as a Bear, never knowing his legacy as a Bulldog would go down for winning a national championship.

"It's tough to put in words. You come back to a town where you basically know everybody's name and you feel like you really don't deserve all this attention for just winning a football game," Bennett IV said.

"Humble" and "blue-collar" is how Stetson's father, Stetson Bennett III, describes him. 

"It's a testament to hard work. It's a testament to making goals and working toward those goals, and it's really special to watch history," Bennett III said.

He watched his son, a 24-year-old super senior and former walk-on at UGA, lead the Dawgs to a 33-18 revenge victory over Alabama in Indianapolis last month.

It's the first title win for the Red-and-Black in 41 years. 

Bennett III said, "Just to see the whole state of Georgia to walk around with their chest poked out, just full of pride, it's just really been special."

Pierce County held a champions parade in January, and leading all the local athletes, from cheerleaders to rec football league players, was their favorite quarterback that wears #13 on Saturdays. 

"I've gained a bit more of an appreciation for exactly how much football means to this state and what it does for people," Bennett IV said.

Dawgs fans will get another chance to see if "the Mailman" can deliver -- Bennett IV says he will take the extra year granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"He's like, 'I've got one more year to play college football. I love football and the University of Georgia, I'm playing football," said Bennett III.

Bennett IV said, "If you want to go be a walk-on and do that, then you better be ready to work hard. It's going to be harder for you than if you were on scholarship."

Right now, Bennett IV is living his dream and hoping to make Bulldog history again, "I've always had a general idea -- I think it's the best job in the world."

The Stetson show and the Dawgs' "Run It Back" tour continues in April with G-Day, their annual spring football game at Sanford Stadium. 

Georgia opens the season at Mercedes Benz Stadium against Oregon in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic in early September.