Does Stetson Bennett Play Baseball?

Stetson Bennett, a former college baseball player, is now a professional football player. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Stetson Bennett’s Background

Although Stetson Bennett played minor league baseball for a short time, he did not pursue it as a career. Stetson Bennett was born in Florida and went to college at the University of Georgia. He was a quarterback for the Bulldogs. After his time at UGA, he was undrafted in the NFL.

Bennett’s early life and family

Stetson Bennett was born in Blackshear, Georgia, on October 9, 1996. He is the son of Joy and Jason Bennett. His father played baseball at the University of Georgia before being drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 11th round of the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft. Bennett has an older sister, Jena.

Bennett grew up playing both baseball and football. As a quarterback, he led Pierce County High School to the Class AAA state championship game as a senior in 2014. He also played wide receiver and defensive back. In baseball, he played center field and pitched. As a senior, he hit .485 with four home runs and 36 RBIs and was named first-team all-state.

Bennett’s college career

Bennett began his collegiate career as a walk-on at Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, Georgia. As a freshman in 2016, he was named the starting quarterback for the junior varsity team. In 2017, he was concurrently the starting quarterback for both the junior varsity and varsity teams. He led the varsity team to an 8–2 record and a No. 2 ranking in the final Junior College Top 25 poll. He was named an NJCAA All-American and was selected as the GMC Offensive Player of the Year. For his career at GMC, Bennett completed 493 of 813 passes (60.5 percent) for 7,384 yards and 74 touchdowns with 15 interceptions.

Bennett’s Professional Career

Stetson Bennett, who played quarterback for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, was not selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was then signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. Bennett has not played baseball since high school, but his professional career has been mostly in the sport.

Bennett’s time in the minor leagues

Bennett was drafted in the 39th round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves, but he did not sign and instead chose to play college baseball for the University of Florida.

After going undrafted in the 2013 MLB Draft, Bennett signed with the independent Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. He spent one season with the Blue Crabs before signing with the Braves in 2014.

Bennett spent the 2014 season with the Danville Braves, posting a 3–2 record and 3.12 ERA in 13 games (seven starts). In 2015, he played for two teams, the Rome Braves and Mississippi Braves, compiling a combined 6–7 record and 3.97 ERA in 24 games (17 starts) between them. He began 2016 back with Mississippi, and was promoted to the Gwinnett Braves during the season. In 31 total games (10 starts) between Mississippi and Gwinnett that year, Bennett went 5–6 with a 5.53 ERA.

Bennett’s time in the major leagues

Bennett was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 11th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft out of high school. He played in their minor league system for three seasons before being released in 2012.

He then played collegiate summer baseball for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, he transferred to Georgia Perimeter College.

Bennett was then drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 27th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft. He spent 2015 with both the Danville Braves and Rome Braves, posting a 6-2 record and 3.97 ERA in 16 games started between both teams, and 2016 with Rome, compiling an 8-5 record and 4.13 ERA in 25 games started.

He began 2017 back with Rome before being promoted to the Mississippi Braves on May 9, 2017.

Bennett’s Post-Baseball Career

Bennett’s professional baseball career began in 1999 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played in the minors for several years before being called up to the majors in 2004. He played for the Cardinals for two seasons before being traded to the Boston Red Sox in 2006. He played for the Red Sox for one season before being traded back to the Cardinals in 2007. He played for the Cardinals for two more seasons before being released in 2009.

Bennett’s work as a coach

Since his retirement from baseball, Bennett has worked as a coach at various levels. In 2010, he was an assistant coach at Mount San Antonio College. He then became the head coach of the school’s baseball team in 2011. In 2012, he was hired as an assistant coach at UC Riverside. He was then promoted to head coach in 2013. In 2014, he left UC Riverside to become the head coach of the San Bernardino Valley College baseball team.

Bennett’s work as a broadcaster

After his playing career ended, Bennett became a broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners and then the Texas Rangers. He also worked as a color commentator for Fox Sports Southwest and as an analyst for the MLB Network.