The Georgia Bulldogs had a near miss in the 2025 season as the Sugar Bowl loss crushed their Natty dreams. Now that Kirby Smart and Co. leave the past in the rearview, writing on a fresh slate, they got hit with huge motivational news. A former player from the Athens camp, Matthew Stafford, grabbed one of the biggest honors in the NFL. 

Former Bulldogs and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford grabbed the 2025 AP NFL Most Valuable Player award. Georgia Football even paid a tribute by dropping a video on their X page. 

Well, it’s not that Stafford is the first Georgia alum to lift the prize. He became the third one to be inducted into the MVP Hall of Fame. However, Stafford’s victory came with ending a 51-year-old drought for the Bulldogs. He joins the MVP club with Fran Tarkenton and Terrell Davis. Tarkenton was the first ex-Georgia quarterback to win the award in 1975, followed by running back in 1998.

So, after five decades, a quarterback’s luck favored the Bulldogs alumni class. Stafford’s MVP is the first of his career and the crowning moment of a historic season for the 17-year veteran. He led the NFL with 46 touchdown passes, setting a new personal best, while also topping the league with 4,707 passing yards.

He already gave away hints about his potential during his Georgia stint between 2006 and 2008. Stafford’s arm powered the offense for 7,731 passing yards, and when the moment demanded it, he finished drives with precision, tossing 51 touchdowns. 

His résumé also includes All-SEC Freshman Team recognition in 2006 and an unblemished 3-0 bowl record, and a Sugar Bowl win over No. 10 Hawaii. Even though Smart was not in charge of the Bulldogs when Stafford played, he became one of the biggest fans of the former quarterback. 

In an interview back in 2024, the Georgia head coach was asked to name two players he would immediately start a team with. He picked Stafford. 

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“I think I go with two Bulldogs,” said Smart. “I’m gonna start on offense with a quarterback and I’m gonna go with Matt Stafford. Just because I think his leadership and his wisdom and the amount of play time he’s had.”

In a razor-thin vote on February 5, Stafford beat out Drake Maye for MVP in the closest finish since the historic 2003 MVP race, where Peyton Manning and Steve McNair shared the honor.

The pride in Athens right now echoes what Wyoming experienced when its alum and Buffalo Bills quarterback, Josh Allen, earned the honor in 2024. With the NFL MVP award ceremony wrapping up, the Bulldogs have more reasons to keep an eye on the pro league.

Heavy presence of Georgia Bulldogs alums in Super Bowl LX

On Sunday, February 8, 2026, football’s biggest stage returns to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The New England Patriots will meet the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. Georgia will be heavily represented by both players and coaches. 

From Athens to the NFL’s biggest stage, offensive lineman Jared Wilson’s journey has come full circle. The North Carolina product played at Georgia from 2021 to 2024 and earned the starting center role in his final season. At 23, the Patriots’ offensive lineman is set to make his first Super Bowl appearance.

During Georgia’s 2022 national title season, Kenny McIntosh led the Bulldogs on the ground with 829 rushing yards and 10 scores. Now a Seattle Seahawks star, he’s still giving his alma mater enough reasons to watch.

Patriots’ passing game coordinator Thomas Brown is a Georgia alum who once powered the Bulldogs’ ground attack. He topped the rushing charts in 2004 and 2005 and ended up with 2,646 career yards

That’s how Georgia alums are still flying the Bulldogs flag loud and proud in the NFL.