Georgia football had been without their star running back Trevor Etienne for quite some time. His status remained unknown heading into Georgia's SEC Championship game with Texas as he was listed as questionable on the injury reports all week long.
But according to Kirby Smart, Etienne was not going to let this game or this moment pass him by. And Etienne made sure to let his teammates know how much this game meant to him heading into their matchup with Texas with the below quote that Smart shared about Etienne's speech to the team.
“Trevor Etienne stood up, talked to the team about playing in this game and he came to Georgia to win championships, he spoke from the heart.”
“Trevor Etienne stood up ,talked to the team about playing in this game and he came to Georgia to win championships, he spoke from the heart.”
— Rusty Mansell (@RustyMansell_) December 8, 2024
Kirby Smart
Trevor Etienne made the most of this moment
Where would Georgia have been without Etienne this season? He was having a great season in his first year at Georgia, before he suffered a rib injury agaisnt Florida that kept him out every game since Georgia lost to Ole Miss. And while this injury was very serious, it sounds like Etienne was never going to let it keep him off the field against Texas in the SEC Championship game.
And thankfully Etienne did play, because he was one of the best players for Georgia in this game. Etienne recorded 16 carreies and racked up 94 yards and two tochdowns. He also added five receptions as well for an additional 28 yards. But it was his second touchdown of the game that was the most important, as he ran it in from four yards out in overtime to clinch Georgia's win over Texas and win the SEC Championship.
This moment is the reason that Etienne came to Georgia. This moment is the reason why he made sure he was available for Saturday's game. And this moment is one that will cause Georgia fans to remember Etienne for as long as football is played at Georgia.
Etienne's journey at Georgia however is not done. UGA potentially has three more games this season that are bigger than this one, and if he continues to play as well as he did in the SEC Championship game, then Georgia is going to have a great chance to win a National Championship this season.