HOMETOWN CHAMPIONS

PROFILES

STETSON BENNETT IV AND ERNEST JONES

Hometown Champions

Southeast Georgia Communities Celebrate the Football Feats of Stetson Bennett IV and Ernest Jones

Minutes after leading the Georgia Bulldogs to their National Championship victory over Alabama on January 10, Blackshear’s Stetson Bennett IV stood on the fi eld at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and referenced the area code in which so many of his family, friends and fans live.

“912’s my home,” the Georgia quarterback told Savannah’s WJCL Channel 22. “I love all you guys.”

Thirty-fi ve days later, another local athlete, Waycross’s Ernest Jones, celebrated a football championship. The rookie linebacker was a key defensive contributor in the L.A. Rams’ thrilling 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

Like Bennett, Jones gave a shout-out to his supporters in Southeast Georgia, writing on Facebook: “Waycross, Georgia. My home. I am truly speechless. The love and support is felt all the way here in California. From the bottom of my heart, I THANK each and everyone of you.”

Ernest and Stetson certainly made their hometowns proud, and the Pierce and Ware County communities responded with an outpouring of gratitude and recognition.

In Bennett’s case, Blackshear held a parade, which also honored his high school alma mater, the Pierce County Bears, and the 2020 state championship they brought home two seasons ago. Stetson also received a Key to the City from Blackshear Mayor Keith Brooks, who said, “We’re so proud of all your accomplishments and amazed at your perseverance. … It’s truly been a remarkable journey.”

In Waycross, the city proclaimed February 11 “Ernest Jones Day” and signs celebrated Jones’s journey “From the Swamp to the Super Bowl” on businesses, streets and lawns all over town. Jones also received a parade in his honor, plus a rally at Waycross Middle School, with thousands of fans turning out for the March 12 festivities.

Bennett and Jones have much in common. O the fi eld, they are humble and polite. On the fi eld, they are ferocious competitors. From a young age, both dreamed of playing on the biggest stages, and overcame plenty of challenges to get there. In short, Stetson Bennett IV and Ernest Jones each has the heart of a champion.

STETSON BENNETT

Bennett received the Key to the City from Blackshear Mayor Keith Brooks during a press conference before the “Champions Parade” on January 30. Photos by Joy Sumner Photography

Stetson Bennett:

‘He Knew He Could Compete with Anybody’

By now, college football fans around the country know Stetson’s story – enrolling at Georgia as a walk-on quarterback, transferring to a Missisissippi junior college, returning to Athens and ultimately becoming the full-time starter and a national champion. By delivering two touchdown passes when it mattered most against Alabama – in the fourth quarter with his team trailing 18-13 – he lived up to his nickname, “the Mailman,” and secured his place as a Bulldog football legend.

But in his mind, Stetson is the same person he’s always been.

“I thank God I was raised in a town like this … where the values don’t sway if you went to a football game or not,” he said at a press conference before the Blackshear parade. “Growing up, being raised the right way, you just don’t let that a ect you – it’s cool, but if it all stops tomorrow, then who I am doesn’t [depend on] my magazine picture.”

The oldest of fi ve siblings, Stet, as he’s known to those close to him, had plenty of company to play sports with while growing up. In backyard football games, he held the coveted “all-time quarterback” position for twin brothers Luke and Knox, who are current seniors at Pierce County High.

“He was super competitive and determined,” says Denise Bennett, Stetson’s mother. “He knew he could compete with anybody. I don’t think it’s in his psyche to ever hear, ‘You’re not good enough,’ even when people have told him that.”

Indeed, there have been plenty of doubters, particularly among the ranks of anonymous online trolls. At 5-11, 190 pounds, Stetson is relatively small for a quarterback at the highest level of college football, and many wondered if he was capable of leading Georgia to its fi rst national championship since 1980. But he had the Pierce County community in his corner all along. They knew what he could do, having watched him light up opposing defenses and scoreboards since moving from neighboring Brantley County as a middle schooler.

There’s more at play than just statistics and championship rings, however. In close-knit communities such as Blackshear, football is an integral part of the cultural fabric, and every player feels the love.

“As a mom, I can’t even di erentiate between the support they give Stet and the support they give my other four,” Denise Bennett says. “That’s the humbling part. You see little boys wearing Stet’s jersey, but I’ve also seen little boys wearing Luke and Knox’s Pierce County jerseys. That’s life in a small town.”

ERNEST JONES

Ernest Jones:

From the Swamp to the Super Bowl

Ernest Jones made it clear from an early age that he was going to play professional football. “As a little kid, he would tell me, ‘One day I’m going to be in the NFL,’” recalls Jones’s mother, Porsche Wells. “He’s always had that drive and that will.”

Others saw it, too. Joe Bennett, who started a youth travel team called the Waycross Blackhawks, was introduced to Ernest by one of his assistant coaches, Carlton Jenkins.

“[Jenkins] was at a fl ag football practice and he saw this kid, kind of standing out from everybody else,” Bennett remembers. “He talked with the family and said, ‘Y’all need to bring him over to our program.’ He was exceptional and you could see it early on – he was a hard worker and he was extremely driven to excel.”

Still, when Ernest reached the high school level, he didn’t make an impact right away. Franklin Stephens, the Ware County head coach at the time, told Ernest’s mother that he needed to put on more weight.

“I said, ‘OK, I’ll take care of it,’” Wells recalled. “I fed him a lot of chicken and rice, a lot of peanut butter, just making sure he ate every day, and it worked.”

Ernest went to the University of South Carolina, where he grew into a 6-foot-2, 230-pound NFL prospect. He declared for the 2021 NFL draft after his junior season, was drafted 103rd overall by the Rams and played in eleven regular-season games. He excelled in the Super Bowl, fi nishing the game with seven tackles and one of seven Rams sacks that brought down Joe Burrow, the Bengals’ star quarterback.

By all accounts, Jones has handled his success with class and humility. “Ernest has never changed,” says Carlton Paulk, whose son, Acy, grew up playing with Ernest for both the Blackhawks and the Gators. “He’s always been quiet, pleasant, humble. He was a good kid and he’s a good man now.”

Such praise, Wells says, “makes a mother feel good. It’s been a beautiful experience to see how Waycross has rallied around Ernest and to hear the kind words they’ve had to say about him.”

Perhaps the most tangible local celebration for Jones took place throughout Super Bowl weekend at the Waycross Dairy Queen. Store owner Brenda Rolison created the “Ernest Jones Blizzard,” which featured yellow and blue M&Ms to signify the Rams’ colors; by Sunday afternoon, the restaurant had used 80 pounds of the candy and sold out of the treat. Rolison plans to make a donation to benefi t the Ware County High football program.

“I think in a small community like this, football brings people together and gets people excited,” Rolison said. “This young man worked hard, played hard, studied, followed his dreams, and look what he did – he made it.” OL

PHOTO BY ALLEN ALLNOCH - AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

Top Left: Brenda Rolison with an “Ernest Jones Blizzard” at the Waycross Dairy Queen. Top Right: Jones celebrating with his mother, Porsche wells, after Super Bowl LVI. Above: Jones showed his appreciation during the parade in Waycross on March 12.