The Mailman is headed to Hollywood.
The Los Angeles Rams selected former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV in the fourth round of the NFL draft Saturday, giving them their backup to Matthew Stafford, another Bulldogs great.
Bennett secured a warm spot in the hearts of Bulldogs fans as the quarterback of Georgia’s only back-to-back national championships, winning titles in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He won offensive MVP awards in all College Football Playoff games in which he appeared.
Bennett will return to the site of last season’s national title game. Georgia defeated TCU 65-7 in January to win the 2022 championship, playing in SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. That venue is the home of the Rams.
“I love competing against the best, and it helps when you’ve got the best on your team,” Bennett said. “I think we do, not that I know that much. But obviously, if you’ve won a Super Bowl in the past few years, you know what you’re doing. I’m excited to learn. It’s an honor that those coaches and (general manager) thought enough of me to pick me, and now it’s my job to go and get better every day.”
Also Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles added to their cache of former Bulldogs, this time choosing defensive back Kelee Ringo in the fourth round, the 105th overall pick. He joins defensive tackle Jalen Carter and linebacker Nolan Smith, who were drafted by the Eagles in the first round Thursday night. Ringo is known for making one of the iconic plays in Georgia history, a pick-six against Alabama in the national championship game in January 2022 that sealed the Bulldogs’ victory.
Last year, the Eagles drafted defensive players Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean from Georgia, and on Saturday, they traded for former UGA running back D’Andre Swift in a deal with the Lions.
Four other former Bulldogs were drafted Saturday. Safety Christopher Smith (Raiders), outside linebacker Robert Beal Jr. (49ers) and offensive tackle Warren McClendon (Rams) were selected in the fifth round and running back Kenny McIntosh (Seahawks) in the seventh.
Earlier in the draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted two former Bulldogs. They chose offensive tackle Broderick Jones in the first round (14th) and tight end Darnell Washington in the third (93rd overall).
In total, 10 Bulldogs were drafted this year. That tied Alabama for the most from one school in this year’s draft, but the number fell short of last year’s school-record of 15, which remains an NFL record for a seven-round draft.
-Material from The Associated Press was used in this article.
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