Rabun County to retire UGA QB Gunner Stockton’s jersey this week
Rabun County is set to honor Georgia football quarterback Gunner Stockton this Friday.
The Wildcats will retire the No. 14 jersey of their four-year starter before they host Banks County.
While planned in coordination with Georgia’s bye week, the timing is ideal on the heels of that fourth-and-7 heave and comeback last weekend in Rocky Top.
Rabun County is commemorating an All-American career that saw him run or throw for a combined 18,024 yards and 254 touchdowns. Stockton was named the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year after recording these two stat lines as a senior:
- Passing: 236-of-331 (71%) for 4,134 yards. 55 TDs, 1 INT
- Rushing: 137 carries for 956 yards (7.0 ypc) and 15 TDs
Stockton, who was an AJC Super 11 selection, finished his Rabun career with a 46-7 record as a starter. The numbers fanatics will appreciate these bullet points:
- 13,652 career passing yards (69% completion percentage)
- 177 touchdown passes to only 17 interceptions (10.4 touchdown-to-interception ratio)
- 4,372 career rushing yards on 7.2 yards per carry
- 77 rushing touchdowns
- There were 13 games in which he scored seven or more TDs (running and passing)
That production allowed him to break GHSA records set by future national champions and NFL draft first-round picks Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson.
- Career TD passes held by Lawrence (2014-17)
- Combined TDs (running and passing) held by Watson (2010-13)
- Total yardage for a career (all forms) held by Watson (2010-13)
Stockton’s father, Rob, wore the No. 14 jersey in high school and college. Rob Stockton is in the Georgia Southern Athletic Hall of Fame for a storied career that saw him start the last 48 games of his career at safety. He finished with 322 tackles, seven interceptions and 20 pass breakups.
His father was also the defensive coordinator for Rabun County while Stockton was scoring all those touchdowns. Rob Stockton always wanted Gunner to be a great athlete, but an even better person.
“The kindest,” Rob Stockton said when Gunner was in high school. “The gentlest. The best friend. Opening doors for women and ‘yes, ma’am’ and ‘no, ma’am’ and that’s him. Thankfully. But when you step across those white lines (on a football field), then that is time to unleash hell. Be that person.”
Gunner Stockton started the first game of his freshman year against Bremen in the Erk Russell Classic in Statesboro. He lost that one. It was the only game of his varsity career in which he did not throw a touchdown.
He bounced back the next week to beat North Murray 52-42. Stockton completed 76% of his attempts that night for 267 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. North Murray was led by future Bulldog and NFL receiver Ladd McConkey, but Stockton led Rabun to the shootout win.
A story to know about Gunner Stockton
While his stats are staggering, stories about Stockton off the field have earned him respect. While he was chasing those records, he also got caught going above and beyond.
Stockton was caught with his teammate Will McCraw cleaning up the locker room on the Wednesday of a game week. The Rabun County seniors and team leadership core did that in waves all year long.
Doug Young, a custodian at the high school who retired from the Navy after 26-plus years on submarines, appreciated the work the boys did.
“Especially on those days when they will be on the grass and they will track a lot of grass and a lot of water into the locker room,” Young said previously. “It will be all over the floor. Gunner and some of the other seniors (would) grab dust mops and other mops and clean it all up. I remember Gunner saying there’s no reason this room should be this messy or messy at all. I appreciate it. I told them they didn’t have to do it, but I appreciate it nonetheless.”
About the Author
Jeff Sentell covers UGA football and recruiting. He is a graduate of UGA's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and has been a staff writer at news outlets in Alabama, Georgia and Virginia. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he was at The Birmingham News and AL.com. He was named the 2005 Georgia Press Association Sportswriter of the Year.
