'A true story of perseverance': Stetson Bennett's Jones College HC reflects on QB's journey

Steve Buckley perfectly remembers the moment Stetson Bennett and his family came to visit Jones College.

The former two-star prospect had a lot of questions after seeking a change of scenery that followed his first stint at Georgia as a walk-on.

"I think like any kid who didn't know a whole lot about this junior college, he was skeptical," Buckley said. 

Buckley describes what Bennett asked as just the normal questions an out-of-state prospect who didn't understand their league at that level.

"He was kind of asking himself, 'where could this journey take me? What kind of football is it? Is it two buildings and a football field or is it really a college?'"

And Buckley would ultimately get his guy, a quarterback who became something perhaps no one else but himself thought he would ever be.

"We got him. Stetson and his parents talked with us on everything from the campus to X's and O's and what we run on offense and how we would use him. I think he liked what he heard when he came here."

Bennett quickly went from a quarterback trapped on the depth chart far behind the likes of Jake Fromm and Justin Fields to the solidified starter.

It wasn't a perfect situation at first, though. Bennett was coming off a lower-body injury and had just had leg surgery. He didn't get to throw a pass at Jones college until the Tuesday before the first football game.

"We had eight freshman receivers that year. Just looking back to where he couldn't do anything as far as practice and as far as throwing go, he threw the ball a lot that year," Buckley said. "Timing and everything was probably off because he didn't know them, but that progressed over time."

"He just wanted to play," Buckley said.

Bennett got his wish. He performed well in the MACJC, impressing Buckley, among several others.

In his lone season with the Bobcats, he led the team to a 10-2 record, a south division championship, the conference championship game and a Mississippi Bowl win over Eastern Arizona.

"He's a winner. He's a kid who believes in himself and he's proven he can do that at the largest stage there is as far as amateur status goes," Buckley said.

"He has an unbelievable Football IQ, understands things. Very, very intelligent kid. You mix all of that with his arm talent, footwork. Size is his biggest hindrance in everything he's done, but obviously, he's overcome his size at a large stage."

Buckley and the coaching staff clearly got the most out of those positive tangible and intangible qualities Bennett presented before he took them right back to Georgia the following season.

Bennett, at the time, was trying to decide between Samford and Louisiana - Lafayette. He had decided to go to ULL, but talked to Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and called his commitment off within 24 hours. 

"Justin Fields had just left and gone to Ohio State and they had a spot open and they ended up wanting him to come back and offered him," Buckley said. 

During that conversation, Buckley strongly advised Bennett against returning to Athens.

"I told him he was crazy to go back," Buckley said. "I said, 'do not do this. You're going to be caught behind Jake Fromm and another four-star, another five-star, you've been there and done that before. Go where you can play.'"

But Bennett went back anyway.

"He loved Georgia so much, that's where he wanted to be and that's why he went back. He felt like he could play there and maybe nobody else did, including me," Buckley said. "I won't speak for coach Smart, but I don't think he thought Stetson was going to be their starting quarterback and win them two national championships either."

Just like the first time, things were not perfect when Bennett returned to Georgia.

"Even when he first got back there, there were a lot of tough conversations," Buckley said. He wasn't getting a whole lot of reps when he first got there the second time."

That would all change, though as Bennett went on to become the eventual starter, leading the Bulldogs to a pair of consecutive national titles and become a fourth-round NFL Draft selection.

"It's a true story about perseverance and believing in yourself, as far as I'm concerned," Buckley said.

Bennett has once again faced adversity after missing the entirety of his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams due to undisclosed personal reasons.

But he's since made his return to offseason workouts and is on track to prove himself once more against the odds. Buckley is among those who look forward to watching him do it again after witnessing it all firsthand.

"That's what he needs to do," Buckley said. "It's rewarding as a coach to see a kid prosper at any level."

And he's happy to have had his level of involvement in Bennett's storybook journey.

"I guess when you look back at everything, just to have a small part in the development of a guy like Stetson is rewarding. We just try to prepare them for the next step in their journey, which is a four-year program, whether they're a transfer or not."