re: Stetson Bennett reportedly did not graduate with a degree

quote:

---

It's Georgia. They give them away. Nothing to earn.

---

quote:

---

Bennett was a straight-laced farm boy and the son of a preacher from the incorporated community of Little Creek, Georgia.

He starred on the football team at Jesup High School, helping the program to a state title in 1954. Bennett parlayed that into a football scholarship at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. But when the school disbanded its program in January 1957, Bennett needed a new home.

Bennett had heard one of his coaches at Stetson University was set to join Warren Giese’s staff at South Carolina. That was enough to take a leap of faith.

With his thumb outstretched, Buddy Bennett trotted along the highway and hitchhiked the 400 miles from DeLand to Columbia for another shot.

“People make a lot of hoopla about my journey,” said Stetson IV, who walked on at Georgia, transferred and then returned. “I didn’t hitchhike anywhere. That’s just what you do if you want to play football.”

---

quote:

---

Football remained an integral part of Bennett’s life. He’d go on to an 18-year coaching career at the high school and college level, including stops at USC, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

When Bennett came back home to visit his family in Jesup, he lovingly terrorized his nieces Frances and Vi, scooping them up and tossing them in the air to show how much stronger he’d gotten while away at school or at his latest coaching stop.

Frances recalls traveling up to Williams-Brice Stadium dressed to the nines for Buddy’s Gamecock games during his undergraduate years. There were no jean-shorts or jerseys in the stands in those days. Church dresses and suits littered the bleachers on fall afternoons.

“He was a hugger, if that helps you in (any way),” Frances said. “He was very affectionate to his family.” It was there in Columbia, too, that Bennett met his future wife, Jayne. Jayne had completed her undergraduate work at Georgia Teachers College (now Georgia Southern) before getting accepted into a master’s program in mathematics at South Carolina.

Heading up to Columbia for her courses, a family friend played matchmaker. Jayne and Buddy were married on Christmas Eve 1964 and remained together for the 51 years until Buddy’s death.

---

quote:

---

Stetson IV even had brief fixations of landing at his grandfather’s alma mater. During the spring of 2015, Stetson IV earned an invitation to South Carolina to throw for Steve Spurrier.

He was one of three quarterbacks on the field at Williams-Brice Stadium that day, running through drills and showing out for the staff. “We had a little traction there and then Coach Spurrier decided to just let it go,” Stetson III said. “He retired and I was like, ‘Well, boys, back to the drawing board.’ ”

---

quote:

---

They give them away

---

quote:

---

Stetson Bennett's 2025 base salary with the Los Angeles Rams is $1,030,000. His 2025 cap hit will be $1,204,785, and his dead cap value is $349,570

---