Bennett on why he was out for a year

from https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2024/7/11/24196393/rams-stetson-bennett-team-mysterious-absence-2023?utm_source=twitter&utm_content=turfshowtimes&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social
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Bennett recently appeared on “Unreserved with TJ Callaway” podcast and opened up more about why he needed time away from Los Angeles last season. When asked “Where have you been?” by the host, Bennett said:

“Home, I went home for a minute. Kind of had to clear my head. I don’t know, it was a bunch of everything all at once it felt like. Just needed some fresh air, and, you know, the Rams and all that were gracious enough to let that happen… I just needed a little bit of a break.”

Bennett explained after winning back-to-back national championships with the Georgia Bulldogs that things never really sunk in. The Georgia QB, who was named MVP of the championship game, was then arrested for public intoxication in Dallas soon after The Bulldogs national title win versus TCU in January of 2023. This led many to believe his absence in LA may have been due to an issue with substance abuse.

Turns out that was not the case and it was actually mental health hurdles that the Rams rookie QB was needing to work through. Bennett, a walk-on at Georgia in 2017, said he was uncertain about himself in college, something that may have contributed to some of his struggles.

“I feel like everybody kind of… I’d say after the first [national championship] people wanted me to leave… somewhere in the second natty season,” Bennet said. “The whole first national championship season I was not certain of myself…”

Rams general manager Les Snead spoke earlier this year about Bennett’s departure and return for 2024. He also alluded to the pressures the QB faced in college when he returned for what was essentially a “win or bust” sixth-year senior season:

“To win a job, then to win the thing, and then to determine, ‘I’m going to come back.’ And when you come back, it’s really win it again or you failed. And that does take a toll on a human being, so I was jacked for Stetson to be able to take that moment and breathe a little bit.”

Snead continued, saying that Bennett was “an exhausted human” after his journey through college and the process of getting to the pros that followed.