Everything Kirby Smart and Georgia Said After the National Championship Game

The Bulldogs, who lost in the title game to the Crimson Tide in double overtime five years ago, were looking to win their first national championship since 1980.

Georgia advanced in the playoff this year as the No. 3 seed after topping No. 2 Michigan 34-11 in the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami, Fla. 

It snapped a seven-game losing streak to Alabama, and won its first national title since 1980. 

 Here's what head coach Kirby Smart and his players had to say after the emotional 33-18 victory in Indianapolis:

Kirby Smart

"Well, I would open with a lot of respect for the Alabama football team, the Alabama football program. I have an immense amount of respect for them, and they fought and battled and lost one of their best players in the game and continued to battle. A lot of respect for Coach Saban, and he was very complimentary after the game. But just Dawg Nation showing up here, the tremendous belief in this program, of our fan base. I mean, everywhere we went in Indianapolis we saw our people. Somebody told me it would be 60-40; it felt like 70-30. I just hope they remember this feeling and understand they don't need to get spoiled, they need to stay hungry like these players. Just so proud of our players. Somebody told me you're not playing for the 41 years that we haven't won a national title, you're playing for the men in the room, and that really touched me, because that's what it was all about was those guys in the room. 

Q. I heard your reference there to some property destroyed in Indy tonight, which obviously goes back to Larry Munson. Can you talk about helping the fans, kind of referring to the fans? You just talked about how much you want to do it for the men in the locker room. Is there some satisfaction in doing that for these fans who followed this program for all those 41 years?

KIRBY SMART: Yeah. There's a lot of satisfaction doing that for them, but ultimately it's those guys in the room, the blood, sweat, and tears, and 200 something workouts and 160 something practices. I appreciate them so much. Our support has been tremendous. When we go on the road, our fans have been absolutely incredible. I think about Lawrence Smith who's sitting there, I think about hugging Vince Dooley's neck after the game and I'm in tears and he's in tears. I got off the elevator the other night and I thought it was a sign when the elevator opened on the 15th floor and Vince Dooley was sitting on a bench locked out of his room. I thought, God put him there for me to see him the night before his game, and he was waiting on his key to come up to his room. I just knew that meant something. It was a special, special win. It wouldn't have happened without these two guys sitting next to me and those men in that locker room. Just incredible, incredible connection and toughness. That was a tough game. 

Q. What things did you concentrate on changing and improving from December to now against Alabama? 

KIRBY SMART: Well, we practiced a lot more man-to-man. Lewis can tell you we probably simplified some things. Made it a little easier. Didn't want 1 to beat us, and we had some poor plays on him where we left him open. But we wanted to affect Bryce, and we felt like if we could get off the field on 3rd down we'd be fresher and we'd have a chance to rush better. I thought Coach Lanning, Tray Scott, and Schumann did a tremendous job putting the plan together, but the players carried it out. We really focused on playing man-to-man and doing it better than they did it. It was no scheme trick or anything else. These guys bought into that. 

Q. If someone had told you five years ago that Stetson Bennett would lead you to a National Championship on offense, what would you have thought? 

KIRBY SMART: I'd have thought, hell yeah, we won a National Championship. I'd have been pumped. Five years ago he was delivering passes like Baker Mayfield against the scout team. There's a lot of guys that saw him on that scout team make plays with his feet, his arm whip and decision making, and we were very impressed. But again, to think that it would come this far from that National Championship he was a part of there to this one, man, what a story. There's so many guys on this team that -- I want to single him out. William Poole, guys, this guy made a lot of plays tonight on the ball and he was not even playing three, four weeks ago. Jalen Carter, there's a lot of guys -- A. D. Mitchell, a lot of guys made plays. That's what this team has been, a collective group of people stepping up when they're needed. 

Q. Coach Smart, you talk often about this team, their resiliency and (indiscernible) just the third quarter there, they get the ball at the 20-yard line, they get a field goal but you find a way to come back. 

KIRBY SMART: I'm sorry, I know you asked about resiliency and coming back. I thought you asked about the field goal, but I couldn't hear you. 

Q. I was just asking about the third quarter, Stetson fumbles the ball, they get a field goal, but you bounce back. Talk about the resiliency you showed with that. 

KIRBY SMART: Yeah, I guess you're saying after the fumble we did hold them to a field goal? I'm getting confused on the drive. Our red zone defense has been incredible all year. I can't tell you how many times this guy has lined up and had to blitz, play somebody in man-to-man. We practice red zone defense a lot, don't we, and we were No. 1 in the country or maybe 2 or 3 in red zone defense because we've got some grown men up front that don't let you run it, we force you to throw it, and then we stop you throwing it. Those red zone stops now, there were multiple times we had huge stops in the red zone, and our defensive staff did a tremendous job. We felt really confident going into the game that if we wouldn't give up explosives from 50 and 60, we get them tackled, even Kelee's play, he runs a guy down and tackles him, we are going to stop him in the red area, because they can't run it. They are going to have to throw it because they can't run it with our front in there. 

Q. Wanted to ask about Jalen Carter. He makes the blocked field goal and then comes in and plays offense. What does it say that you have guys who are multipositional and able to do so much for this team? 

KIRBY SMART: Yeah, it's just a credit to the toughness and really tenacity they have. I took him off kickoff returns. I wanted to be fresh rush passer and he was pissed at me. I thought he was going to beat me up over there when I told him he couldn't go on kickoff return, because he wanted to go on kickoff return. He had been playing defensive line, he had blocked the field goal, played on offense, and played fullback. So he's a talented player, and the sky's the limit for him. He's got to figure out what his ceiling is and make sure he plays with great effort all the time. 

Q. Kirby, can you describe your emotions? That interception on the pick six happened pretty close to you on the sideline. Describe your emotions as you were watching it and then running down the sideline sort of chasing after Kelee; what was going through your mind there? 

KIRBY SMART: The sad thing is I was screaming to get down, and that was the wrong play there. I saw the receiver coming behind him, and pessimistic thought or whatever, I was worried about the guy stripping the ball from behind. Then I realized 11 wasn't going to catch Kelee. And once I realized check1 wasn't going to catch Kelee, I didn't want to get a holding call on Channing, and all I could think about was get down, get down, we can win this game, run the clock out. If they don't have timeouts there, the play is to get down.

But they did have three time-outs, so the probably could have got the ball back. So going up two scores was the right move, and probably a little prematurely I felt like we had won the National Championship, but we still had to get a stop because they could score, two point and get an onside. I was a little concerned with that. It was ironic because the ball was in the air. All we've done this year is throw balls to our DBs. You can ask Lewis. We've thrown millions of balls because of playing the ball in the air, and when that ball was in the air I said, he's going to catch this thing and we're going to win this game, and he did. 

Q. I imagine you envisioned this kind of night for the program. How did the reality that you just experienced out there postgame feel in terms of you mentioned hugging Vince and you're probably worn out by all the hugs you had, but I imagine it will be like that for a while. 

KIRBY SMART: Yeah, you know, the feelings inside, the emotion I have for these players and these young men, I'm looking over here at these young men, J.D. and James and these guys waiting to go, I've never been around a group of players that really wanted it so bad and wouldn't be denied. Remember, a lot of these guys decided to come back and they bought in, and we changed a lot of off-season things. We cut out the indoor and we went to the stadium. We did a lot of things. The toughness, brought a lot more toughness back. I just can't say enough about the leaders. I'm so happy for the Georgia people. I'm happy for the people that get this for so many years they've been without it. But I told the guys in the locker room, just take a picture of this, because I think back to the '80 championship picture and seeing all those players and the Frank Walkers and the Herschel Walkers and all these people that have reached out and said things. Our guys have accomplished that, something special, and as they say, they've become legendary, and I want that for them. It's not for me, and I know it's for the Georgia people and all that, but it's really for these guys that have given so much, and I certainly appreciate what they've done. 

KIRBY SMART: I want to close with this. I want to tell all you guys, I appreciate the coverage you've given us. I know at times you get frustrated, but we appreciate what you guys do. It's a blessing to be the head coach at University of Georgia, and the men on this team, a lot of them juniors and seniors, will be remembered for a long time. This is a special group. Give them their due when you start talking about Jordan Davis, Zamir White, Nakobe Dean, James Cook, a special group that will be remembered for a long time. You know what, on that sideline tonight, I saw Richard LeCounte, D'Andre Swift, Nick Chubb came over to me. That was the group that was crying in the locker room, and this group made it right for them. Thank you guys, and go Dawgs. 

Stetson Bennett and Lewis Cine 

Q. Stetson, you guys had fallen behind 18-12 and you responded so quickly. Can you talk about that, four plays, 75-yard drive and just the aggression you attacked Alabama with?

 STETSON BENNETT: Yeah, I mean, I knew that once I fumbled the ball I was not going to be the reason we lost this game. Coach Monk dialed up awesome play action. We had been running the ball a lot, and I think we went three straight play action and then one deep ball, then we got them to jump offsides because they'd been timing up the snap a lot. But it's the thing that Coach Smart and the whole team has been preaching all year, resiliency, toughness, composure, connection. I knew that those guys beside me had my back, and I had their back, too. 

Q. Stetson, I really wanted to know, all season long there's been people in your ear, maybe not in your flip phone but in your ear about how you shouldn't be a starting quarterback or how maybe this shouldn't be the season. I know it's meant a lot to have Kirby stand by you all season, but when you get to that point of both the fumble, the emotion that you feel there, you could see your face on the sideline, to then the tears that happened a little bit later during that pick six, was that sequence of events, did it feel cathartic or just emotionally where was your head at as you were going through that last 10 minutes of the game? 

STETSON BENNETT: The fumble was not cathartic. The fumble, that was just football. There was no -- I put my head down and say, That's not going to be how we lose this game. I mean, AD went up and made it. He ran a great route. He went up. Jermaine on the bench route -- we had ran that play in practice probably five or six times; we never (indiscernible) the bench route, because we were trying to hit the skinny route on the right. And just the fact that Jermaine ran it, one, like he did, Kenny finishing his catch over there on the left, holding up in protection, just the whole drive, everybody doing their job, that's what this football team is. That's what Lewis does every day for the defense as the leader over there. I love these guys. Then the tears afterwards, that just hit me. I hadn't cried in, I don't know, years, but that just came over me. That's what -- when you put as much time as we do into this thing, blood, sweat, tears, it means something.

Q. For both players, how do you deal with the knowledge now that you will be regarded forever in a special place in Georgia history and among Georgia fans, much like the 1980 team?

LEWIS CINE: Well, for one, it's a great honor, of course, what the coaches through recruiting and everything have done for the program, and the goal is moving forward to stay hungry and not get complacent. That's the worst thing you can possibly do is get complacent. Our goal is to continue on being -- chasing greatness in terms of how we practice, the things we do. The players, even younger, older guys, being great leaders. I would say moving forward that's just -- we've just got to continue everything we did this year and just up it a level.

Q. Stetson, a couple weeks ago in Athens you spoke about how much Georgia football means to so many people. You said you almost don't like to think about it because it becomes a little bit overwhelming. I'm wondering if you can articulate the feeling of delivering this type of special joy to so many really millions of people across the state by winning tonight.

STETSON BENNETT: Well, I mean, first of all, it was the defense who kept us in this game. While we were stumbling over our own feet the entire first half and then starting out in the second half. They won this game for us. We executed a few drives. We could have done so much better. But we got the job done whenever we needed to. It hadn't hit me yet. I guess it hit me a little bit on the sideline. But no, I can't articulate it. I'm not that smart.

KIRBY SMART: He is.

STETSON BENNETT: But it felt great. 

Q. Stetson, I know that you as a Georgia guy for all your life, you kind of played it off that you're a football player now, not a fan. But how will you celebrate this when you get back to Athens and what's the first thing you're looking forward to doing?

STETSON BENNETT: Well, I think we might celebrate a little bit tonight here in Indy first.

KIRBY SMART: If we can ever get out of here.

STETSON BENNETT: But I haven't seen my family yet. I just want to go hug their -- they're the ones who have been in my corner the entire time, always supported me. That's what I'm looking forward to right now.

Q. Stetson, I wondered if you could go back to the start of the drive, the one that put you up eight before the pick six, and what your thought process was there with a one-point lead, what you were hoping to get accomplished there, how you hoped to accomplish it.

STETSON BENNETT: Well, I think we had, what, six minutes left. So the goal was to score a touchdown because in our minds, we figured they were going to go down and score, and we were preparing for that. We didn't think one point was enough. But it was also to bleed the clock out while we're doing it. You saw our offensive line. We mashed on them on that drive. Coach Smart is over there doing this. We played Georgia football that drive. Running backs ran hard. We weren't going to be stopped on that drive I don't think. It felt great handing the ball off and watching those dudes lead us down the field.

Nakobe Dean, James Cook and Jordan Davis 

Q. Nakobe, I believe I saw you take a knee off the game was over to have a little prayer. I wonder what was going through your mind at that point. 

 NAKOBE DEAN: I had to thank God. Without him, none of this would have been possible. Every step of the way I thanked him for putting me in this position, putting my team in this position, and I just thank him for everything. 

 Q. The fumbled play, it was ruled a fumble; Stetson was going to pass. Can you guys walk us through what you were thinking as that play unfolded and as the officials reviewed it? 

 JAMES COOK: It's just something that you can't control really. It was in the refs' hands, and we just got all the guys together and kept chopping. And not really like just bringing down the guys because I knew we were still in the game. We just kept chopping, and the outcome was a W. 

 Q. Jordan and Nakobe, y'all have been such a great defense all year long. You take the field there in the fourth quarter looking to hold that lead. What did it mean to y'all to have the game on your shoulders at that moment and to come through for your team? 

 NAKOBE DEAN: We talked about putting it on our shoulders and it being on us. We knew when we took the lead, we knew that if they don't score no more, they don't win. That's the only thing that was going through our mind. We took the challenge, just like every time they got to the red area, we knew we was going to bow our necks, do what we had to do. 

JORDAN DAVIS: Definitely. Just feeling like we had to finish it off strong, just like we started. It was a lot of adversity going through the game, but at the end of the day going into that fourth quarter we knew we had to have it, 15 minutes of hard work, because everything we worked for over this past year since the Cincinnati game last year was coming down to this moment. So we just wanted to finish out strong, and you see the result of the game. 

 Q. None of you guys are from the state of Georgia, but you made the choice to come to Georgia, help build this team, and then to see it culminate like this, what does it mean to you that you were able to see this through and to know that you're now going to be a part of the lore in this state moving forward?

 JORDAN DAVIS: UGA adopted me even though I'm not a hometown kid, just coming from Charlotte, but they've shown me love. That's what we owe it to. We owe it to the G, we owe it to the fans, we owe it to Dawg Nation, because we work so hard for them, they cheer so hard for us, and being adopted by this great team and this great family, it just means something special. It doesn't matter where you're from. Football is the great equalizer. You've got different people from different backgrounds coming together in one locker room all working for a common goal, which is to win. We're working at just winning the National Championship. That was the only thing that was on our mind. That's just how I look at it. 

 JAMES COOK: I mean, with me, from Miami, really it was just playing for my brothers and playing for the University of Georgia really. Just coming here, like, I mean, I always wanted to win a National Championship growing up, so, I mean, we got together as brothers and we came back for one more year. And we got the dub and we worked hard all year, I mean, just to do it for the University of Georgia and everybody in this program.

NAKOBE DEAN: For me, the whole reason why I came to Georgia, other than all the academics and the maturing and everything else, was to win a National Championship, and I knew we could build into it. That was one of the biggest reasons for us to come to this like surreal moment. It still ain't all the way hit me yet. I'm pretty sure later on or tomorrow I'll wake up, it'll be like, did I just win the National Championship? It's still kind of a surreal moment, and also I got the right hat on. Y'all have seen me on with the wrong hat on earlier. I got the right hat on. 

 Q. Thinking back to the season, dominant defense all year long, when did you all know this defense could be special?

NAKOBE DEAN: For me actually it was the off-season. It wasn't when the season hit, it was all the work we put in in the off season, getting to know each other, all the connection pieces, just everything we've done just this off-season, it's been like no other that I've had. That's kind of when I knew this team could be special and get the job done, and it had the group of guys to do it. 

 JORDAN DAVIS: Definitely hit me in the off-season. I seen a group of guys buy into what we were preaching in the off-season and we were just working for that, and just seeing them work and seeing them come to work every day just inspired me, inspired other teammates, pulled us all together because we worked so hard for this, and coming at the end of this game and seeing the result, it makes it all worth it. We knew we was going to be special from the jump. We knew we were going to be special from the beginning, and just working through it and having a tremendous regular season and tremendous postseason, it just makes it all worthwhile. 

 Q. This one is for Jordan and James Cook. I know the two of you made the decision to come back to Georgia after last season. For this senior class, how much was this the perfect way to cap it off? 

 JAMES COOK: I can say just going out with a bang with the people I came in here with, it's very special. We came back for a purpose, and, I mean, we worked hard as older guys. We led the right way. Just the whole off-season was special, how we connected, like the reason why we're here today talking to you guys. I mean, we just came together as brothers and got the job done.

JORDAN DAVIS: We had a vision of today what we wanted way back when we were making our decisions to come back. We took a gamble, and we cashed out. That's all I can say. We took a gamble and cashed out, and it was a big decision on the seniors' part. We wanted to lead this team the right way. We knew that we had something special brewing, and to see this and to see this season come to fruition and see all of our goals and achieve everything that we wanted, it makes it super special. I wouldn't change my decision for anything. I just hope that the younger players, when their time comes, they look up to see and see how we did it right and came back. It's different situation and different factors, but at the end of the day we wanted to make sure that we lead the right way. 

 Q. Jordan, did it seem like everything was going against you guys earlier in the game, and did you feel like that just sort of motivated you guys, even all the way up to the call against Stetson? It went against you but you held them to a field goal in that situation. Can you talk about the mindset when things like that were happening? 

 JORDAN DAVIS: Definitely our mindset was just even keel, play the next play. Everything is not going to fall our way and it's going to be a lot of adversity in the game. Bama is a talented team. They have great players and a tremendous team. We knew they were going to make plays. It was just the way things fell. At the end of the day, we just had to keep chopping, and that's what we kept preaching on the sidelines, just keep chopping, keep going, don't stop, keep the foot on the gas. This is a four-quarter game. This is the two best teams playing against each other at the end. You just had to carry that momentum from the fourth quarter, and we never put the blame on nobody, so we just wanted to make sure that we continued to work. When you continue to work, you can't really be bothered about this play happening or this call not going our way. You're just playing. You're just balling. 

 Q. Is there any added significance to this by the fact that it is Alabama, a program that so often you guys have been compared to and matched up against? Obviously you can't make a national title any sweeter, but is it any more special to do it against Alabama? 

 JAMES COOK: For me, just never beating them, it was just special to me. I mean, so many games we had them down to the wire and they just came clutching in every moment. I mean, yeah, just beating Alabama is special to me because they've got a great coach, great team. I mean, it's just special. Just winning the National Championship period is special.

 JORDAN DAVIS: Definitely, for me I went against Alabama three times, and winning this one, it's my final game playing against them, it's pretty sweet and pretty amazing. They've got a talented team, and that was always the team that we couldn't get over the hump for. But making this opportunity, maximizing this opportunity, it was just amazing because you're playing for a National Championship. It doesn't matter who you play honestly. If you're in the National Championship you're one of the best teams. It just happened to be Alabama. We planned for them. We learned our mistakes, we righted or wrongs from the last game in the SEC Championship and came back and won a National Championship. That's what we came for, a National Championship. That signifies that you're the best team in college football. Hats off to Bama; they played an amazing game. They're a great team. But at the end of the day no matter who we played, we wanted to win the National Championship at the end of the day. 

 NAKOBE DEAN: Yeah, for me, it really didn't matter. We could have played anybody in the National Championship, as long as we won. My central goal, the reason I came here was to win a National Championship, not just beat Alabama. For me it was -- for me I just love the fact that we was able to finish. I was able to finish with this group of guys that I got. I love this team. I love all the fans, and I just love everybody who's just supported us from the jump. 

 Q. If I could quickly ask you guys to say what moment from the postgame celebration stands out to you the most. 

 JAMES COOK: I would say just holding up the trophy at the end. Seeing my brothers smile knowing what we accomplished and holding up the trophy at the end. Greatest moment and you can never get it back. 

 JORDAN DAVIS: I would definitely say looking on the sideline and seeing everybody hug each other and celebrate with each other. It makes it really special because that's our family and they work so hard for this. And even for the people who didn't play in the game, it means so much for them, whether that's being a scout team player or fan or somebody like way across the world watching us. And we did it for them. We did it for Dawg Nation. We did it for everything. This is for all the glory, and we took it. 

 NAKOBE DEAN: Yeah, for me, probably one of the things for me was a lot of sweet moments after seeing that clock hit zero. We was victorious. One of the most sweet moments was when I came across Julian, Julian Rochester, being along with any of us on this team, and I could just see the emotion in his face. Just seeing him just like was a representation of everything that I'd done it for, all the fans, all my brothers that I love, my family, everybody from back at home, all the kids looking up to us. Just seeing it -- yeah, go Dawgs.

Jamaree Salyer 

Q. You are from this state; you could have gone pro after last year but you elected to come back. What does this moment and winning a national title at Georgia mean for you? 

 JAMAREE SALYER: It's probably one of the most special things I've ever done in my life. Just understanding the work that it took, honestly, it's kind of one of the crazy things, just understanding how much work, man hours and how many reps. It's kind of crazy to look back on it. I only got this opportunity once in four years, so it's even more special for me to be a senior and to be able to do it that way, too. It's just a lot of things make it really special for me, but God is good. 

 Q. After Stetson had the fumble and you guys fell behind, can you take me maybe through a conversation you had or a huddle that maybe got you guys focused again or reset your purpose? 

 JAMAREE SALYER: We just kind of understood that we needed to recenter our focus. We understood how big turnovers were in that game, and we understood that in their previous losses, they lost the turnover battle, and in our losses to them, we lost the turnover battle. We kind of re-centered ourselves, understood that turning the ball over was a no-no in this game if we wanted to be successful, and got back on the same page. As an offensive line we wanted to take over the game to make it easier on Stetson, and we wanted to do that in the second half. 

 Q. I was just wondering, first couple drives of the game obviously didn't go too well, and then you turned around with the deep ball to Pickens led to points. Was there anything you think changed up front after the first couple drives? And if yes, when do you think that shift might have happened? 

JAMAREE SALYER: I think the offensive line is kind of a rhythm game, kind of like pitching, kind of like anything else. It's five guys working cohesively to make one thing happen, so sometimes it takes a minute to settle into the game. Sometimes your emotions are high. We really wanted this game, and so sometimes you've just got to settle in, settle in and understand what you need to get accomplished, not let your emotions take you too far. A lot of penalties, a lot of emotional penalties, a lot of guys getting settled into the game, getting settled into the environment because this was different. Like I said in a previous interview, this was a different environment. It took us a minute to settle into it, but second half we came out rolling. 

Q. I wanted to ask you about the blocked kick and then James Cook's 67-yard run. What was the vibe on the sideline when you have two really big plays back to back like that? 

JAMAREE SALYER: It's kind of likes that moment before that drive that we kind of understood we had to take this game over as an offensive line unit and as the backs we kind of had a conversation on the sideline before that drive, it's time for us to take the game over. Even me at one point, I went over to Coach Smart and was like, Put it on us. We want to win this game. That kind of sparked it off, got it going for us. We were really excited, obviously, that he broke that big run. I was like, Go, run. Please, run. Just make it to the end zone. But yeah, it was exciting to see him make that big run. He's been really explosive all the playoffs. It was a great moment for him, great moment for us, and we kind of got sparked what we wanted to get accomplished as a team. 

Q. As an offensive line, y'all took the field with about seven minutes left, came down and scored a touchdown. What was y'all's mindset knowing the game was on your shoulders as an offensive line? You've got to run the ball, pick up 1st downs and milk the clock there. 

  JAMAREE SALYER: We wanted to finish the game with no time left on the clock, honestly. We wanted to run all the time off the clock, but the score obviously made it all kind of bittersweet. Yeah, we wanted to finish the game with the ball in our hands, and obviously running seven minutes off the clock is tough, but we've done it plenty of times before since my time here at Georgia. That's kind of our calling card. That's what we want to be known as, a team, an offensive line that can finish the game, and we did. Yeah, that was kind of our mindset, just going in and finishing the game, running the clock out and do our job, do our best to help the team. 

Q. What memory stands out from the celebration tonight? When the clock hit zero to the whole celebration on the field, what stands out to you? 

JAMAREE SALYER: What stands out? So many. I haven't really had time to sit down and process all the memories yet. I mean, just watching that clock hit triple zeroes and just all the emotions. Part of me wanted to cry, part of me wanted to get excited, part of me wanted to feel a lot of different things. So just that rush of emotion when that clock hit triple zeroes and just kind of processing, Wow, we're national champions. That's what guys kept saying. Wow, we just won a National Championship for the first time in 40-something years. It was a special moment for me and a lot of my teammates. Me and Coach Luke shared some special moments. I can't really compare anything to that feeling. Maybe I'll feel it again at some point in the future when I have a child or something like that, but for now, that'll do. 

Travon Walker 

Q. Is there any extra significance to this win given it is against Alabama, a team that has so often been a thorn in you guys' side? Obviously you can't top winning a National Championship, but what does the fact that you beat Alabama in this situation mean to this team? 

TRAVON WALKER: It's just the fact that we won the National Championship, we beat Alabama, and we really did it for all the people who doubted us. We worked all year for this. We knew how good we were. We just had to prove everybody else. But it really didn't matter what everybody else said because we always came to work. We knew how hard we worked. 

Q. Just what you can say about this team and just what this environment has been like in this locker room this season, and then secondly, what you would want to say to the last team that won a championship at Georgia, how you would want to honor them. 

TRAVON WALKER: This team right here I can personally say this is probably one of the most -- I'd have to say it's one of the most well-bonded teams that I ever played on throughout my whole sports career. Something that I'd say to the old National Championship team, shoot, I really don't even know. I'd have to say just go Dawgs. It's legendary. It's history in the making. 

Q. I don't know how much interaction you have with Stetson on a day-to-day basis given that you're on opposite sides of the ball, but when you're seeing someone like him who really seems like he's the toughest critic on himself of anyone on the team, and I don't know how much you guys pay attention to the criticism and how often people are questioning what he's doing, but how cool is it to see him go out and have a game like he did today and just really fight back even from the mistakes and help you guys get to this mountain top. 

TRAVON WALKER: Just all the adversity that Stetson has fought throughout his whole college career to then lead his team to a National Championship, that's pretty good. So I just want to say congratulations to Stetson. You really did your thing, kept your head down, you didn't listen to what the outside said, and we did it. 

Q. Could you take us through your emotions on the defensive touchdown by Kelee Ringo? Obviously this is a defense a lot have called historic, and to cap it off with a touchdown to basically clinch the National Championship. 

TRAVON WALKER: I just want to say to Kelee, Man, that was a heck of a play. There was a lot of people that doubted him and had a lot to say about him. Also, he's just a young player. He's grew up a lot, and he showed up in a big time game when he really needed to and closed out things. 

Q. You take the field with a one-point lead with eight minutes left on defense. What goes through your mind in that moment knowing the game is kind of on your shoulders at that point? And then to force a three-and-out, what was the mood when you came off the field? 

TRAVON WALKER: At that point, everybody was just like, Stay composed, and we knew we had to put the team on our back at that time and just stay grounded and keep going, because we knew what we came here for. We just had to stay down and put the team on our back. 

Q. Kirby was talking about some of the guys from the 2017 team that were here tonight to kind of be able to enjoy this with you, and obviously they didn't get a chance to celebrate like that. How long do you think -- obviously you guys don't think it's going to be another 40 plus years for Georgia to win another one. What is this program built to do after winning this one now and going forward? 

TRAVON WALKER: This is a great program. We have some great coaches. The future holds a lot of great things for this team, and I'm ready to see it and ready to experience it. 

 Q. I was wondering if you could tell us what stands out to you about the celebration, when the clock hit zero and through the whole celebration, if there's one moment that you think stands out to you right now. 

TRAVON WALKER: That moment right now, that's a lifetime experiencing moment for me, for all my teammates, my family who was here. It just really meant a lot to be on this big old stage making plays and having my team win a National Championship and made history for the University of Georgia. It really meant something to me as a Georgia kid and just growing up a Georgia fan. It was really exciting. 

Zamir White 

Q. Obviously you guys kind of carried the load tonight on that last drive and then Stetson made that play. What was that moment before the -- before you broke huddle. Was there some confidence that you guys could move the ball this late in the game on a gassed Alabama defense? 

ZAMIR WHITE: Yes, sir, like my mindset was just to keep on grinding and just keep on chopping, just trusting my linemen, and yeah, just keep on chopping and keep on running my feet. That's it really. 

 Q. Y'all have the ball with seven and a half minutes left or whatever it was, the game is on your shoulders, you can close it out with that touchdown. How much did you enjoy that moment of the game is on our shoulders, we've got a chance to go shut this thing down? 

 ZAMIR WHITE: I personally feel like we was built for it, like camp and just like the workouts we've been through and just all the things like we're just grinding for, just everything. Like the workouts, like camp, we really worked for this. Yeah, man, that's about it. 

 Q. Zamir, you came to Georgia a highly ranked guy, came out of the gate dealing with those ACL injuries. I guess just to see everything culminate into this moment, given the path that you've taken to get here, what's the feeling like, and reflecting on your journey, how does it feel to see it in this way? 

 ZAMIR WHITE: Oh, man. Shoot, man. I would say just blessed, man. Just blessed with my teammates, my coaches, and just being here at this great school, at this great team. I'm just blessed to be here, man. I just want to thank my family, my mother. That's about it.

Q. I wanted to ask you about Jalen Carter. What's your confidence level when you're running behind him on the goal line? What's it say about him that he's able to block field goals and play in your goal line package? 

  ZAMIR WHITE: Man, he's a -- like a tree trunk. He don't move. The guy is a stud. Huge guy, smart guy, nice guy, and he's just a great person and a great player. 

Q. Can I ask you to identify when the clock hit zero, the celebration, what stands out when you think back? What moment to you stands out during your celebration? 

ZAMIR WHITE: The one thing that stood out to me was Stetson. Like just seeing him like just have all this pressure on him, all the crowd noise and him going through that and fighting it out and just seeing him just cry, just tears of joy, man. It was really priceless, man, like just seeing him and just seeing all of my teammates just happy and crying. Yeah, like it was all great. I loved it. 

Q. If you guys could go back to that fumble and just kind of what was going through your mind as that replay was going on and just how much of a pivotal point in the game you thought the game might be, that call might be at that point? 

ZAMIR WHITE: I feel like we just stayed to grinding. Like we just -- like I said, we just stayed grinding and just trusted the process and just knew that we was just going to do what we do best and just come back from it and just keep on fighting. That's it. 

Q. After James breaks, I think it was a 67-yard run to set up the first touchdown, what's your mindset at that point after you're finally in the red zone? You just had a big run break, what's your mindset on the field there once you have that 1st and goal right before scoring the touchdown? 

ZAMIR WHITE: Cook, man. Cook scored. That's it really. Like we've got to score. We're down here, like, hey, man, we've got to get in there. But we needed points. We've got to get on the board. Man, that's it.