Bulldogs won’t have Heisman winner in ’21
CHATTANOOGA — The Georgia Bulldogs haven’t produced a Heisman Trophy winner since Herschel Walker in 1982, and it doesn’t appear that will change despite the success of this season’s topranked team.
This has been a program that has embraced a no-name defense and has thrived offensively behind former walk-on quarterback Stetson Bennett, unheralded receiver Ladd McConkey and freshman tight end Brock Bowers. Earlier this week, Bennett was named one of three finalists for the lesser-known Burlsworth Trophy, which has been given annually since 2010 to college football’s best player who began his career by walking on.
“I was super proud for Stetson,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Wednesday on the Southeastern Conference teleconference. “What a great honor. I don’t know that people give that award the proper recognition, because that’s one of the coolest and greatest awards, because it means, ‘I went here to school without a scholarship. I went to do something special,’ and walk-ons are special. They do it for free.
“Most of the players by the time they get to that award are on scholarship because they’ve proven everybody wrong.”
Bennett was the third-string quarterback behind JT Daniels and Carson Beck this past spring and in preseason camp but seized the opportunity once Daniels became sidelined with a lat injury. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder guided Georgia to lopsided wins over the ranked trio of Arkansas, Auburn and Kentucky, and he enters this week’s game against Charleston Southern having completed 97 of 149 passes (65.1%) for 1,625 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions.
His 10.9 yards per attempt and his 184.6 efficiency rating are tops among Power Five quarterbacks.
The Burlsworth Trophy is named in honor of former Arkansas offensive lineman Brandon Burlsworth, who arrived in Fayetteville as a walk-on in 1994 before becoming a three-year starter from 1996-98. He was a third-round selection of the Indianapolis Colts in 1999 but died in an auto accident 11 days after being drafted.
Smart was an undrafted safety out of Georgia during the spring of 1999 who received a mini camp invite with the Colts.
“We were with the Colts at the same time, and then the tragic accident happened,” Smart said. “I explained the back story to Stetson and what that award means and what he was like, and I think Stetson feels honored to be one of the finalists for that.”
Former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and former Clemson receiver Hunter Renfrow are among the previous Burlsworth Trophy winners. This year’s other two finalists are linebackers Carlton Martial of Troy and Grant Morgan of Arkansas.