A newly released police video shows former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback and current 2023 NFL Draft prospect Stetson Bennett accuse police of ruining his reputation during his public intoxication arrest earlier this year.
The footage, which was obtained and shared by TMZ Sports on Monday (April 3), shows Dallas Police officers with Bennett at around 6:15 a.m. on January 29. Officers arrived at the scene after receiving a report from a woman who claimed that Bennett was screaming outside her home, "I'm going to ruin your night if you don't open the g**damn door," while knocking.
Bennett was reported to appear intoxicated and wasn't particularly cooperative with police, taking several minutes to comply. The quarterback eventually told police that he was in Dallas training and was unable to make contact with former teammate Owen Condon, but refused to say what he was doing prior to being in the neighborhood and appeared to be unaware of where he was at the time.
Bennett was reported to have had someone else's ID on him while speaking to police and was described as reeking of alcohol. The two-time national champion was eventually placed in the back of a police vehicle and became agitated with officers, complaining about the tightness of his handcuffs and claiming the arrest "ruined" his reputation.
"The door shut and somebody fell asleep," Bennett said. "And now five million people gotta see it, don't they? Thank you, boys, for looking out for me. You guys are the best."
"Reputation ruined," he added. "Everything I worked for for 20 years, ruined. But ya'll boys just looking out for me, aren't ya? Thank you, sir."
Bennett, who was just weeks removed from leading the Bulldogs to their second consecutive College Football Playoff National Championship at the time of his arrest, issued a public statement referring to the incident as "a mistake" last month ahead of the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
"I understand why that can’t happen," Bennett said via TMZ Sports. "I've talked to coaches about it, talked to GMs. I've apologized to my family. That’s who I felt worse about; I felt like I let them down, because no matter where I go now [people are going to know about it]. Even without all this, I've got an obligation. I'm the fourth [Stetson Bennett]. You can't do that if you're last name is Bennett. I know better."
Bennett led Georgia to a 65-7 win against TCU at SoFi Stadium on January 9, 364 days after leading the Bulldogs to their first national title since 1980. The redshirt senior threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns on 18 of 25 passing, as well as recording 39 yards and two touchdowns on three rushing attempts.
Bennett scored Georgia's first touchdown on a 21-yard run that capped off a five-play, 57-yard drive during the Bulldogs' first possession of the game. The former walk-on initially etched his legacy by defeating Alabama in the College Football Playoff Final on January 10, 2022, throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns on 17 of 26 passing.
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