The Georgia Bulldogs have played in three of the nine College Football Playoff National Championships, winning the last two. USA Football 2020 U.S. Under-19 Tackle National Team alumni and rising college senior Nazir Stackhouse was fortunate to have a front row seat to both victories as a member of Georgia’s vaunted defensive line.  

“I didn’t play in the first championship game, but I did contribute that season,” Stackhouse recalled. “I had a decent year as a sophomore splitting reps with Jalen Carter and Zion Logue and playing behind Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt and Travon Walker. It was exciting to realize we were national champions after beating Alabama. It was just a great experience. This past national championship was even more exciting because, not only did we win back-to-back national championships, we did it in Los Angeles in a new stadium. We had the opportunity to win a title at SoFi Stadium, which is one of the biggest stages in football.” 

The Bulldogs defeated Alabama 33-18 in the 2021-22 National Championship with Stackhouse watching from the sideline, but the Georgia native saw action in his team’s resounding 65-7 win against TCU in the 2022-23 National Championship. Stackhouse tallied a pressure and two tackles, including half of a tackle for loss, in the most important game of his career.  

“I think I speak for a lot of athletes when I say you get a bit of an anxious feeling at the beginning of the game, but not in a bad way,” said Stackhouse. “It’s a good feeling. You just want to get out there, and after the kickoff, it’s all second nature to perform at your highest level. Before any game, there’s always adrenaline flowing through you. You’re just ready to go out there, get some hits in and have fun. Before the second national championship game specifically, I thought, ‘I can’t wait to get out there. There are so many people, and it’s the national championship against TCU. I’m just ready to go out there and win.’” 

Stackhouse, who joined the Bulldogs as a four-star recruit in the class of 2020, took a few moments to reflect on the emotional impact of participating in and winning a national championship.  

“You want to tear up, but there’s still a lot of work left to put in,” he said. “It was a very humbling and exciting experience because we realized we won back-to-back national championships and made history at the University of Georgia. All you can do is look deep down inside yourself and think about everything you’ve accomplished up until that point. Playing for Georgia is a big accomplishment already, and winning back-to-back national championships – just talking about it gives me chills. Knowing that we’re going to try to get another one makes it even better.” 

Head coach Kirby Smart’s arrival in 2016 turned Georgia into one of the nation’s premier programs and a pipeline for professional talent. NFL teams drafted 34 Bulldogs over the past three years, including several of Stackhouse’s teammates along the defensive front, like Robert Beal, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith, Travon Walker and Devonte Wyatt. Playing for such a highly-regarded defense is quite an accomplishment, but it comes with expectations.  

“It’s fun, and it’s not easy. We know the standard. To play defense at the University of Georgia means we don’t allow teams to run the ball on us,” Stackhouse explained. “We keep teams under a certain number of yards per game and allow very few points. We out-hit, out-hustle, and out-work our opponents to uphold that standard. That’s a defining part of Georgia’s defense. It has been that way since Coach Smart arrived, and it’s always going to be that way because the guys here will meet that standard. It’s a privilege to play defense for this program and uphold that standard.” 

The relentless focus on upholding the standard on the field doesn’t take away from the fact that football at the University of Georgia is about more than film room sessions, weight training and big games under the lights. It’s also an avenue to support athletes and prepare them for life outside the sport.  

“Football helped a lot of us grow as individuals and men. We learn to take criticism, be coached and fight through adversity. Those situations help outside of football with normal everyday life too,” said Stackhouse. “The game teaches us and prepares us for life after football, even with simple things like being on time for meetings. These factors that go on in-house at the University of Georgia just teach us how to live after football. You can take criticism from your future boss, be on time for meetings and your co-workers can depend on you because you kept a schedule in your head during your time in college. Some individuals take it differently than others, but we all change over time. Football helped me grow physically, mentally and even spiritually.” 

Stackhouse experienced growth through the game of football during high school, the college recruiting process and his first three years at Georgia. Now he offers words of advice and encouragement for young athletes beginning their high school journeys.  

“If you’re in high school, just have fun and embrace those moments while also fighting your butt off and working really hard,” Stackhouse said. “If you don’t have fun, the game won’t be fulfilling for you. Just go out there and have fun, do what you do, and perform at your highest level while also making it exciting for yourself. Showcase your talent and create your memories with your brothers. Just don’t take it for granted. Until you make it to that next level, keep your head down, stay humble and work hard.” 

Stackhouse’s time with the 2020 U.S. Under-19 Tackle National Team that defeated a team from Panama 67-0 at International Bowl XI at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas separated his high school and college careers. It was an opportunity to meet many other college recruits, some of which Stackhouse still keeps in touch with.  

“I enjoyed watching the National Teams that competed before us. I saw myself on the jumbotron, which was a very cool experience as a high schooler,” recalled Stackhouse. “Our last practice, we were outside, and we were able to chop it up and have a lot of fun knowing that it was going to be our last practice before transitioning to college football. It was a very memorable moment. I’m still in contact with a lot of those guys. We still have a group chat. I can hit it up anytime, and guys will respond. To look back and know that guys who played in that game are becoming great athletes in college or are going to the next level is a very humbling experience. It’s crazy to think I played with all those guys. We were all still teenagers, so looking back it’s crazy how that happened.” 

Some of Stackhouse’s teammates on the 2020 U.S. Under-19 Tackle National Team included guards Dwayne Allick (Boston College) and Kahlil Benson (Indiana), cornerback Jacobe Covington (USC), linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II (Maryland), quarterback Ken Seals (Vanderbilt), wide receiver Jordan Watkins (Ole Miss) and defensive linemen Ricky Correia (Cal), Westley Neal Jr. (Rhode Island) and Chazz Wallace (Old Dominion).  

USA Football’s U.S. National Youth Tackle Teams have featured many exceptional athletes over the years, including Georgia’s Kendall Milton, NFL All-Pros Jordan Poyer (Bills), Tyrann Mathieu (Saints), Jonathan Taylor (Colts) and Wyatt Teller (Browns) and quarterbacks Mac Jones (Patriots) and Kenny Pickett (Steelers).