Michael Bennett's five years at Georgia anything but dull

photo Georgia senior receiver Michael Bennett leads the Bulldogs with 35 catches entering Saturday's game against Georgia Tech.

ATHENS, Ga. - One losing season. Two Southeastern Conference East Division titles. One torn ACL. One torn meniscus.

Michael Bennett has not lacked for experiences or obstacles during his five-year career as a Georgia Bulldogs receiver. Bennett will be among 27 seniors who will suit up for the final time at Sanford Stadium this Saturday when the No. 9 Bulldogs host No. 16 Georgia Tech.

"It's been a long road and a character-building time in my life," Bennett said. "I've been on some good teams and some bad teams, and I've seen a lot of leadership come and go, and I think that has kind of developed me as a leader myself."

Bennett has started 26 games in his career, including 10 this season. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder from the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta has a team-leading 35 receptions for 381 yards and four touchdowns, and his career totals include 132 catches for 1,584 yards and 17 scores.

He has been a fixture in Georgia's offense since the 2011 game against Florida, when he hauled in a 20-yard touchdown reception from Aaron Murray just before halftime that helped turn a 17-3 deficit into a 24-20 win. The Gators had won 18 of 21 series meetings going into that game, but the Bulldogs have won three of four since.

"That was the moment when I realized I could play in this league and really succeed," Bennett said. "It gave me a ton of confidence, and ever since then, I've just continued to build off that."

The building process did not come without challenges.

Before Georgia's most-hyped game of the 2012 regular season, an October trip to South Carolina, Bennett tore his ACL in practice. He was on track for a potential 1,000-yard season, having amassed 345 yards through five of 14 eventual games.

His torn meniscus last season occurred at Tennessee, which sidelined him for losses against Missouri and Vanderbilt, setbacks that derailed a team that was ranked No. 6 in early October. He returned and wound up compiling 41 catches for 538 yards and four touchdowns.

"Michael has certainly been a very, very good representative of the university and the football program as a young man," receivers coach Tony Ball said, "and on the field, he has made a lot of plays in some big games week after week and year after year. He's also meant a great deal to the receiving group because he's always willing to help.

"He's an easy guy to talk to and an easy guy to approach. Guys trust him and respect him."

Bennett signed with Georgia in 2010 and redshirted, when the Bulldogs suffered their only losing season under head coach Mark Richt. He is one of just three 2010 signees who expect to be playing for a final time at Sanford Stadium this weekend, joining quarterback Hutson Mason and defensive tackle Mike Thornton.

Right tackle Kolton Houston also is a 2010 signee but has applied for a sixth season of eligibility.

"The thing I hear the most from those guys is just how fast their senior year went and how they can hardly believe it's their last game 'Between the Hedges' and how much it means to them," Richt said. "Young guys usually don't get reflective, but when you're a senior, you start reflecting back on your career and remember yourself as a freshman and then see yourself as a senior and realize how much you've grown."

Said Bennett: "I'm sure when I walk out there with my parents and take a picture with Coach Richt, it's going to be a little emotional."

Odds and ends

Richt said after Wednesday's practice that Todd Gurley underwent successful ACL surgery on Tuesday. ... Richt on if he was going to monitor the players as far as Thanksgiving food consumption: "No. They eat a lot anyway." ... Ball on the success this season of UTC, his alma mater: "I have to call Russ (Huesman) and congratulate him, because that is outstanding."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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