LSU QB Mettenberger says ‘God had different path’ than UGA
HOOVER, Ala. – A short time ago I had the pleasure of having a semi-exclusive interview with LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger before he began to make the media rounds here at the Wynfrey Hotel. A couple of LSU beat writers and I were able to spend 10 minutes talking to Mettenberger in the Buckingham Room here soon after he and his coach and teammates arrived for SEC Media Days.
Mettenberger is, of course, a former Georgia player who was dismissed from the team shortly before pleading guilty to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery in the spring of 2010. He grew up in Watkinsville, Ga., as a huge Georgia fan and his mother has worked in the Bulldogs’ football office for 10 years.
Now he finds himself as the starting quarterback for national championship-contender LSU. You need to know nothing more than the fact that the Tigers chose to bring him to Media Days despite Mettenberger having never started a game to know how they feel about him.
I’m writing a story that will appear in tomorrow’s print section — and online as well — but I wanted to go ahead and share the interview I had with Zach as a Q&A since it’s the most extensive opportunity I’ve had to talk to him since he left for Butler Community College in Kansas in the summer of 2010.
So here you go . . .
Q: Were you surprised that LSU asked you to represent the team here today?
A: “Not really. I’ve just been working hard to be a leader on the team and I think the coaches have seen that hard work in me. They believe I’m a well-spoken individual who’s capable of representing this team. It means a lot that they had that trust in me to let me come here and know that I’m going to represent the team well. I’m a little nervous being here, but if I can get through these butterflies then I’m going to be all right.”
Q: Does it feel like a practice run?
A: “It’s kind of a big first practice [laughs]. There’s a lot of people here. I’m just going to try to have fun today and learn from it.”
Q: How does is feel to now be the undisputed starting quarterback?
A: “I’m very comfortable. It’s definitely a lot different. I guess I won’t really know until we get on the field and start playing.”
Q: Have you spent much time contemplating the event that got you to this place?
A: “No, not really. My Mom working at Georgia and being at Georgia my whole life, I thought I’d be at Georgia now. But that’s not how God wanted it. That’s not the path he had for me. So I’ve dealt with the adversity and I think I’ve handled myself pretty well. So I’ve just got to keep working every day to better myself as a player and a person.”
Q: Is it your ultimate desire to face Georgia in the SEC Championship Game?
A: “Just getting to the SEC Championship Game my first year as a starter would mean a lot. It wouldn’t matter who we played. Regardless, it’s a goal I have this year. Hopefully we can get there.”
Q: What do you think it would be like facing Georgia?
A: “It’d be, not awkward, but it’d be kind of funny seeing all my old roommates and old buddies over on the other sideline and playing against them. It’s something I look forward to, but not any more than if we played South Carolina or Florida.”
Q: Do you have any Georgia gear anymore?
A: “No I don’t actually. I left it all at my house in Watkinsville.”
Q: Have you been back home much since leaving UGA?
A: “Maybe three or four times I’ve been back. I don’t get back a lot. I don’t have a lot of time to drive 10 hours and go see my parents. When they have a chance they come see me as much as I can.”
Q: When were you last in the Athens area?
A: “Actually I was there over spring break. I was in Gulf Shores (Ala.) and I just drove up to Athens one day and showed up at Mom’s work. It was a surprise for her. She was happy to see me and I was glad I did that.
Q: Did it feel strange being in enemy territory like that?
A: “It’s different, but it’s my hometown. It’s really not awkward or weird for me to go back. A lot of those coaches have known me since I was 10 years old.”
Q: Did you get a chance to visit with your old position coach, Mike Bobo?
A: “I saw him. We had a good talk. That’s a guy I’ve known since he was a G.A. for Georgia and my mom first got the job. It’s been great having him as almost a father-figure in my life. He gave me some good advice while I was back home.”
Q: Are you still good friends with any of the Georgia players?
A: “Me and Aaron are definitely good friends. We lived together for a year. I know we had the competition but, despite that, we’re very good friends. I roomed with Dallas Lee, Austin Long, Blake Sailors. Blake and I went to high school together and I grew up with him. So there are a lot of guys I’m really good friends with.”
Q: Are parents going to LSU games?
A: “Yeah, as many as they can make. I can’t wait to see them. Hopefully they can make them all.”
Q: Doesn’t your mom go to all the Georgia games?
A: “She hasn’t been to a Georgia game since I left.”
Q: Is there something behind that?
A: “No, she supports everybody on that team because my buddies are all like sons to her. But because I’m not playing there’s really no point for her to go. She’d rather stay home and watch it on TV.
Q: How has being the starting quarterback changed you?
A: “I’m just trying to everyday develop my leadership ability. This team doesn’t have a lot of leaders right now, so we need some guys to step into that role. I’ve been working hard every day trying to get the guys to rally around me to be the offensive leader. We’re just trying to make the offense better and hopefully we can go out there this year and execute.”
Q: Are you feeling any pressure about the position you’re in?
A: “Not really. I was just telling somebody, I’d rather be in The Swamp right now playing a night game than talking to all you guys. I’ve never really gotten nervous before a football game. I don’t know what it is about me but that’s the way it’s been since peewee and high school is over. I really haven’t gotten nervous.”
Q: Word is you guys are going to be airing it out behind your big arm this season. That true?
A: “I’m definitely excited. As long as I can get the ball in the hands of the playmakers on our team, my job is easy. If we have to run the ball 100 times I’m will to do that. I’m here to win ballgames, not to promote myself as a quarterback, just to be a winner for LSU.”
Q: Are your parents still big Georgia fans?
A: “Both of my parents are more LSU fans now than Georgia fans now. That’s just because they love me and support me so much.”
FULL AJC COVERAGE FROM DAY 2 OF SEC MEDIA DAYS:
- Atlanta’s college-football playoff bid still percolating
- Schultz: Muschamp deserves some time at Florida
- Coaches’ sideline behavior a point of emphasis for SEC officials
- Miss. State needs to pick it up in SEC West
- Muschamp: Dooley didn’t complain about playing Florida in Jacksonville
- Kentucky coach Joker Phillips says he’s feeling no heat
- Schultz: Arkansas living with humiliation after Petrino firing
FULL AJC COVERAGE FROM DAY 1 OF SEC MEDIA DAYS:
- SEC commissioner Mike Slive talks playoffs and a lot more
- South Carolina’s Spurrier prefers UGA’s schedule
- Missouri, Texas A&M state their case
- Jeff Schultz’s digi-blog: Welcome to Media Daze.
- Aggies excited, not intimidated, by SEC debut.
- Schultz: SEC needs to be vigilant to avoid Penn State-like scandals
- Vanderbilt coach passes on question about Todd Grantham
- The media’s record at predicting SEC champ: 4-16 since 1992
- Spurrier has no qualms about this quarterback
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245 comments Add your comment
TY
July 18th, 2012
7:24 pm
Was he not dishonest with Richt when the incident first happened an the police later found out what really happened? I am certain God did not put that girl in the position so that he could later have a change in his life. What about her? Maybe she finished school and is now successful somewhere too.
Bob
July 18th, 2012
7:26 pm
Mett would still be on our team if Richt hadn’t sold his soul to that loser Aaron Murray. Of course, Richt has a habit of that.
Evaluating quarterbacks
July 18th, 2012
7:29 pm
Amusing to regularly read posts on here about how Mason should be starting over Murray.
1. We are supposed to believe Mason is a better QB, and would give UGA a better chance to win, but Richt will play Murray over him? That makes a lot of sense.
2. Forgive me for thinking someone who has coached two Heisman QBs, the one time winningest QB in the college game, and the #1 NFL draft choice, may actually know a little more about evaluating that position than some guy posting on an AJC blog.
K Conway
July 18th, 2012
7:29 pm
The kid is a loser!
Joe
July 18th, 2012
7:35 pm
Which Heisman quarterbacks did Bobo Coach?
Bob
July 18th, 2012
7:36 pm
@Evaluating…how many games involving top 20 teams has Murray won? The game has passed Richt by or why have we stuggled with all of our top 10 recruiting classes?
James
July 18th, 2012
7:41 pm
I guess Ealey telling Richt he would not drive without licenses before he actually did is a little different than Mett not coming forward with the truth to start with. A little different situation with both incidences. Wow some on here are really in a judgemental mode. I am glad they are not God and make decisions about our lives.
Joe
July 18th, 2012
7:48 pm
God made Mett channel David Copafeel.
hey bucket
July 18th, 2012
7:52 pm
we wont really know if god forgave him or not until he plays uga.
if lsu wins than god forgave him. if lsu loses that god did not forgive him.
players on both sides pray for victory but only one side can win. if god didnt take sides than there would be ties.
AJS
July 18th, 2012
7:54 pm
I love all the God experts. Sometimes, when you down, God help you up. A lot of kids have done far worse deeds. Not being an expert on God I do know he forgives. It’s hard for some to show forgiveness but I kind of think when they are down they have a different point of view. Support the kid and let him play a GAME!
falcon fred
July 18th, 2012
7:56 pm
Don’t think it is a requirement that you be a total dumb a$$ to be a UGA fan, but it certainly doesn’t seem to hurt any. What a pathetic bunch of losers. This particular blog sets it in stone.
Brainiac(CMR/UGA fan for life)
July 18th, 2012
8:05 pm
@ Red Dawg 77(6:05pm post)
Damn good post Bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DirtyDawg
July 18th, 2012
8:07 pm
Falcon Fred…if you had a daughter and a loudmouth, drunk, punk sexually assaulted her, how would you feel about young Mr Mettenberger’s coppin the God’s Will angle? Cause if she were my daughter the kid’s Dad would have had my a$$ to whip. As for his lying to his coaches, clearly that’s got as much to do with his being gone as anything else. And I still say that any player that’s dismissed from an SEC member school for ’cause’ – like his kid and like Cam Newton – should have to serve more of a penalty than if they had simply transferred and sat out a year, and that all the other members should honor at least a two year ban.
Mike
July 18th, 2012
8:11 pm
I agree with Joe_T. God did not choose this exact path for him, and to say that is totally incorrect. We are given free will to choose in life. To understate the obvious, Zach made the wrong choice that led to his dismissal from UGA, a dismissal that was absolutely justified and correct. Its not the choice God wanted him to make. After that fact, God has not given up on Zach, and may very well have opened this door for him to turn things around at LSU.
Thats the thing about God’s grace. No matter how many bad choices we make or how severe they are, He never gives up on us and always opens a new door. Hopefully Zach learned from his mistakes, and will grow into the man God wants him to be.
AltamahaDawg
July 18th, 2012
8:14 pm
And how much did you see Bernie mack? Did you see the first Gday game where he failed to complete a forward pass not to the defense, or the second one where he was scripted against the second team on purpose to help his chances of getting a new gig? or did you see all those practises where the reports were, he wasn’t the best?
rabblerabble
July 18th, 2012
8:14 pm
Zach went to Valdosta Georgia on spring break and sexually assaulted the bartender, then he got tossed out from Flip Flops and gave the cop his fake id. where was god that night?
Brainiac(CMR/UGA fan for life)
July 18th, 2012
8:15 pm
@ Hey bucket:
You don:t know when/if/why GOD forgives or not nor do any of those praising/blaming/questioning GOD!!!!!!
When we die it is over……………………………..PERMANENTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOD doesn’i have time to get involved in football with 6,000,000,000 folks on Planet Earth to watch over and that doesn’t include any other inhabited planets we are not aware of.
Just treat your fellowman as you would like to be treated and all will be well………………………………on our planet…………………….until you die which is the final event forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bitter spoiled recruit
July 18th, 2012
8:16 pm
jesus freaks and a batch of nay sayers—————–hypo’s
————–God I love collage football, God thanks for making me better than—–most—-TROLLS
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
LakeDawg
July 18th, 2012
8:20 pm
I may be mistaken, but I don’t think God told him to go into Flip Flops in Remerton and put his hands in that girl’s clothes………
@Game Changer- one day you will find that you are wrong and it will not be so funny. Eternity is a long time.
AltamahaDawg
July 18th, 2012
8:20 pm
How ever many games Murray has lost , BOB, losing MORE games with a less capable QB is a pretty stupid way to address that.
Brainiac(CMR/UGA fan for life)
July 18th, 2012
8:23 pm
@ Mike:
Will you blame/credit GOD if Zach acquires an injury that ends his football career or meets an untimely death??? Hopefully he does well and becomes an NFL QB but why would you want to blame/credit GOD for EVERY event in EVERY life on this planet???
LakeDawg
July 18th, 2012
8:24 pm
God forgives but there are still consequences, i.e. King David.
And I would bet the farm that none of these “give the kid a break” folks have daughters; as omeone said earlier, if it had been MY daughter (who knows the victim) Mett would be in jail right now.
put me in coach
July 18th, 2012
8:25 pm
I get angry whenever I read about this guy starting at LSU. Then everyone is all over CMR for the discipline problems at UGA but for the 2nd year in a row LSU will start a QB that has had problems in their past. The Gators have problems because Urban had no discipline.
LakeDawg
July 18th, 2012
8:26 pm
Brainiac- try to get your arms around the concept of ETERNITY- FOREVER- NO END OF TIME.
You are placing a major bet on your beliefs-
Kyle
July 18th, 2012
8:32 pm
And I guess God made you sexually harass that poor co-ed because ultimately he knew Georgia wasn’t right for you and LSU was where you belonged?! Whatever Zach
HABDAWG
July 18th, 2012
8:32 pm
God is real and he loves everyone of you. Hope Z. Mettt has his act together and wish him the best except when he plays Georgia.
By the way GOD could care less about who wins a football game. His only concern is how each one will spend eternity, in heaven or hell!!!! He created us and loves us so much that he sent his son Jesus to die for us while we were yet sinners and anyone one who beleives in him shall be saved. That’s all there is to it.
Brainiac(CMR/UGA fan for life)
July 18th, 2012
8:33 pm
@ Dirty Dawg:
Well said BRO and you forgot to include Isaiah Crowell. I guess UGA will be playing against Crowell in a year or two but Crowell very likely will suffer some financial loss if he makes it to the NFL because they do a lot of background checks on people that will be making big bucks.
Unless Crowell stays sweeky clean his signing bonas will be approximately the same as my son’s allowance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
iWonder
July 18th, 2012
8:37 pm
How good would a Joe Cox UGA team be with this defense?
Brainiac(CMR/UGA fan for life)
July 18th, 2012
8:40 pm
@ Lake Dawg:
Thanks BRO but I’m not trying to UNCONVERT ANYBODY. I try to live my life as I think it should be lived and respect the right of others to beleive as they like. I just happen to beleive that when you die it is 100& over.
Have you ever communicated with anyone after their death???
falcon fred
July 18th, 2012
8:41 pm
Well DirtyDawg, guess you would have gotten your a$$ beat. Leave the kid alone. He’s got a crystal football to worry about, not the feelings of some fat, bib-overall wearin, toothless idiot Georgia fans.
mgdawg
July 18th, 2012
8:43 pm
I don’t think it was God’s plan for you to molest a girl.
Next, Mettenberger did play better then murray in a spring game, but that was a spring game. So many people on here act like mettenberger has proven something already, he hasn’t. I forgot who it was, but stafford got outplayed in the spring game one year and he was the first pick in the NFL draft. Look at Murray’s numbers facing SEC defenses, with a horrendous running game and offensive line. Mettenberger may have a great season, but at this point he has not proven a thing to me.
Delbert D.
July 18th, 2012
8:43 pm
Strange stuff on this blog.
Nachos: certified power drinker
July 18th, 2012
8:52 pm
uhhh was it god’s plan to have him do keg stands at TALLADEGA???
JB
July 18th, 2012
8:53 pm
I feel about Aaron Murray like I did when Bobo was starting. I’ll support him, and root for him, but I’m ready to click over to a better Qb at UGA. He has proved over and over to implode at points during a game that usually cost us big. Maybe he’ll show us this year. Maybe he’ll beat a good football team.
Brainiac(CMR/UGA fan for life)
July 18th, 2012
8:55 pm
@ Evaluating Quarterbacks:
Yours, sir, is by far the best post EVER on a UGA related blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please notice that some of the idiots you were referring to had no idea you were referring to CMR but instead thought you were referring to CMB. They should not be allowed outside without adult supervision!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why would GOD make so many complete fools???????????????????????
Nobody believes CMR is NOT a GOOD person but they pretend to believe CMR would risk losing his and his staff’s jobs just because he likes one player better than another is so incredibly stupid it makes you wonder if GOD spends too much time with the rest of the 6 million earth inhabitants!!!!!!!!!
GATOR SLAYER
July 18th, 2012
8:59 pm
THE DOGS KICKED HIM OFF FOR A VERY GOOD REASON. IF IT HAD BEEN MY DAUGHTER,HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE AND HIS FOOTBALL CAREER OVER.
iWonder
July 18th, 2012
9:01 pm
@Evaluating quarterbacks
3. Richt also made platooning QBs mainstream by correctly assessing that Shockley deserved to see the field even with Greene being solid. Dude does know what he’s doing with QBs for the most part.
Brainiac(CMR/UGA fan for life)
July 18th, 2012
9:02 pm
@ Dirty Dawg:
Let’s all hope and pray to GOD that Falcon Fred has not, nor will he ever, reproduce!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Falcon Fred = Loser = Single Digit IQ = Zero!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JB
July 18th, 2012
9:02 pm
No way Richt could of kept Mett around. Lot of hype for him without winning even getting his jock on correctly yet. Big difference in 7 on 7 passing drills vs a real SEC defense coming at you with 90,000 screaming at you, National TV and the game on the line.
Nimrod Dawg
July 18th, 2012
9:02 pm
Nice interview Chip. I liked the one about the Georgia gear.
I dropped my fried twinkie
July 18th, 2012
9:03 pm
He sounds like he wants to move on and try to not be the Person the Blog Haters(me too LOL) that pushed him to the side.
There are very few people I would never give a second chance if you do it right. MV7 is a person I will Never forgive his actions.
I hope his Dad beat the crap out of him for treating a lady with so little class.
bitter spoiled recruit
July 18th, 2012
9:05 pm
Its a football blog idiots———–Dont Take a trip to the middle east if your in search of God—!!!!
That place will allow a person to aquire the ability to forgive————-
Far worse in life than gropp-in a co-ed
Brainiac(CMR/UGA fan for life)
July 18th, 2012
9:06 pm
@ Falcon Fred:
That is NOT UGA FANS you are looking at. It’s a mirror you lowlife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JB
July 18th, 2012
9:06 pm
I will say that LSU with a stud big arm QB with moxie is scary.
Jefferson Davis Hogg
July 18th, 2012
9:10 pm
Good read. I often think of how things would have panned out had Mett stayed on the right path. My thinking is he would be our starting QB and next potential NFL QB prospect. I do believe he would have beat AM out eventually and really think he already did. Best of luck to ZM. I think he will set records at LSU. Hopefully, or maybe not, to see you in the SEC championship game..
Brainiac(CMR/UGA fan for life)
July 18th, 2012
9:11 pm
@ Bob:
Give it a rest or better yet just STFU!!!!!!
You are dumb enough to be triplets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dawg89
July 18th, 2012
9:14 pm
Why can’t people be happy that a kid made the best of the bad situation that he created? What do you want him to say in an interview with a UGA beat writer? Would you be happy if he failed? If so, that says something about you. He was punished by the criminal justice system for the crime he committed and now he has worked hard to move on. Get over it.
DaveDawg
July 18th, 2012
9:14 pm
This hate for Mett makes me sick. His dream was to b e a DAWG. He committed to UGA in high school and never wavered. One disputed “grab” in Valdosta ended all of it. But we all know that 100% of accusations made by drinking college girls are accurate and small town cops never seek attention with trumped up charges. Even if the accusation was completely true, is it worth losing all of that? No. This was life-changing and likely still hurts. The haters are showing their ignorant, HYPOCRITICAL backsides on this one. Show some class.
bucket
July 18th, 2012
9:20 pm
For those of you who hate Murrary, Mettenberger had as much to do with him being entrenched as the UGA qb as anyone. In Murray’s 2 seasons as the starter the Dawgs have started 1-4 and 0-2. Those starts weren’t all Murray’s fault, but Richt would have tried a popular and qualified Mettenberger to give the team a boost. If Murray struggles this year I believe that LeMay or Mason will get a chance. As a Dawg fan I hope Murray has a great year because that will be good for UGA, but I also hope that LeMay gets some playing time.
Brainiac(CMR/UGA fan for life)
July 18th, 2012
9:23 pm
@ Bitter:
I am a fan of yours but please sober up long enough to read “Evaluating quarterbacks” 7:29pm post!!!!!!
He nailed it perfectly!!!!!!
Keep up the good work on the trolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!