Jordan Rodgers, like many other people, called the journey “special” when describing Stetson Bennett’s performance to lead Georgia to a national championship over Alabama.

Rodgers, an SEC Network and ESPN analyst, shared thoughts on WJOX out of Birmingham, Alabama on the “McElroy and Cubelic In the morning.” Rodgers recalled what Bennett said about never truly letting himself believe that Georgia could win a national championship. So when Bennett released his emotions on the sideline, that’s when he finally let himself believe.

“I gotta believe that in order to succeed, when everybody around you is saying you can’t, when you’re overlooked, even in quarterback competition in fall camps, by your head coach,” Rodgers said. “I still feel I gotta believe he was still telling himself for motivation that you’re not good enough yet. Now he got to sit back, after that interception last night, and he can verbally say it: ‘I’m good enough. I always knew I was, but I had to use that as motivation.'”

Rodgers then recalled Bennett’s early comment leading up to the game when he said, “you’re either the zero, or the hero.”

“I think that’s true,” he said. “So much weight was on Stetson to win it, and he was either going to be the hero, even if he played well enough for them to win, it was always going to be his fault. I remember saying before the game, I think he can make every throw.”

Rodgers also credited offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and said the game plan wasn’t perfect, but at times it was exactly what it needed to be.

“In big moments, Todd Monken out-coached that defense,” he said.