Gunner Stockton fishing with Luke Bryan shows how much has changed for QB
ATHENS — Being the quarterback at Georgia affords you special perks.
One of those would be fishing with Georgia super fan and country music star Luke Bryan.
During Gunner Stockton’s brief Christmas break, he got the chance to go fishing with Bryan. He was able to reel in a 6-pound bass while out on the water.
“That was awesome,” Stockton said. “One of my good friends, Cade Brock, he does the DGD Outdoors page. And he texted me and was like, ‘Hey, you want to go hunting and fishing with Luke Bryan?’ He didn’t even tell me when or where. I was like, ‘heck yeah.’”
Not everyone got the same opportunity, as Stockton’s roommate and tight end Oscar Delp was jealous of the invite.
“I talked to him a little bit about it, and he said they had a good time,” Delp said. “It looked super sweet, so I was jealous for sure.”
While Stockton enjoyed the rare moment in the limelight, he’s far more focused on the task ahead for the Georgia football team than when he might next get out on the water.
Stockton had perhaps his best game of the season the first time out against the Rebels. He threw for 289 yards, ran for another 59 and accounted for five touchdowns.
Georgia didn’t punt once in the 43-35 win. He’ll have to play that well once again if Georgia is to get another win over the Rebels in the College Football Playoff.
“He wants to win for Georgia,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “He’s not trying to win for Gunner Stockton. I think a lot of the improvement you’ve seen throughout the year, he was so, ‘I don’t wanna do anything to cost Georgia,’ that he maybe did not play as free as he needed to in some situations. And he’s kinda come out of his shell a little bit, and you’re able to see more true of what Gunner Stockton is and who he is as a quarterback.”
Bobo added that Stockton is only just scratching the surface of what he can do.
A year ago, Stockton was a minor celebrity. A big fish in a small pond of Georgia fandom, but far from one of the best players in the sport.
Georgia lost in Stockton’s debut. He’s led the Bulldogs to a 12-1 record this season, winning the SEC championship along the way.
Yet he still thinks back to that first start, far more so than his recent fishing adventures with Bryan.
That motivation has helped power Stockton to his standing in life.
“I’ve had a bad taste in my mouth, to be honest, ever since,” Stockton said. “I don’t know, I don’t really handle losses that well. But I worked this offseason and whereat today to set myself up to do good things.”
Stockton and Georgia have had a long layoff since their last game. That created the opportunity to go out fishing with Bryan.
If Stockton plays well against the Rebels, he’ll have less time on his hands. Georgia’s next game would be on Jan. 8. Should Georgia win that game, it would play on Jan. 19 in the national championship game.
“It means a lot,” Stockton said. “I mean, the end goal is definitely to win it all. That’s what a place like Georgia is always, every year you want to do that. But I mean, I think our team, the best thing we’re doing right now is just focus and just trying to get better each day.”
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
