Next-Level Fandom

Bennett Walker leaped at the chance to join the Spike Squad at the University of Georgia, and his initial experiences with the ubiquitous student group have only served to deepen his connection to the school and fuel his passion for the red and black.

Bennett Walker has been surrounded by the red and black of the Georgia Bulldogs for as long as he can remember. In many ways, it has filled his life with memories of family gatherings, superstar players and national championships. Nowadays, though, Walker’s fandom has reached a new echelon as the latest Newton Countian to become a member of the University of Georgia’s Spike Squad. He feels like more of a diehard fan as a result of his involvement.

UGA’s Spike Squad can best be described as a group of students cheering for the Bulldogs in various sports—primarily recognized by their presence at home football games—while wearing red and black spiked shoulder pads, along with face and body paint. The ferocity of their cheers separates them even further. Walker now has a front-row seat to support the Dawgs as part of the Spike Squad. The opportunity came out of the blue.

Walker was making his way to Sanford Stadium on Aug. 10 to partake in the school’s traditional “Power G” photo with all freshmen enrollees. As he departed his dorm room, he was handed a flyer advertising a Spike Squad interest meeting. Walker attended and took part in three events to begin the selection process. First, there was a cookout to further discuss his intent to join the group. Then Walker was part of an Atlanta Braves watch party to showcase his energy and passion about sports. Finally, a field day took place and featured obstacle courses to bring out his competitiveness. Fifteen days after he received the flyer, Walker was accepted into the Spike Squad. He jumped right in, too. Though only required to participate in 10 sporting events, Walker went to 40 in his first semester. Among the 40 events Walker attended was the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. It served as a quarterfinal for the 12-team College Football Playoff on Jan. 2.

Watching players in various sports reciprocate their fandom of the Spike Squad has been a boost to Walker’s drive, too.

“Being able to be recognized by basketball players this year and having football players run up to the student section and point at us, it’s shown that the players actually care about us and recognize us,” Walker said. “It makes me enjoy being a fan more and more.”

“I have a sense of closeness with them, because I actually go here. They are my team officially now.”
Bennett Walker

The Spike Squad also participates in philanthropic events such as Extra Special People in Watkinsville’s Miracle League—a local baseball organization for those with disabilities. The group attends games and cheers on the different baseball teams.

It has been a triumphant start for Walker with the Spike Squad. However, his passion for the Bulldogs can be traced back long before he ever stepped foot on campus. It all started when he was around 10 years old. Georgia was his favorite team from the start. No other team has come close to earning his support. Today, Walker attends Georgia with his older brother and sister, both juniors. All three continue the Walker family tradition, as their father, Chad, graduated from the Classic City’s school in 1998.

Walker is majoring in public relations while pursuing a minor in sport management. Additional extracurricular activities for Walker include UGA’s Baptist Collegiate Ministries and The Wesley Foundation. There was one particular football game the Bulldogs played a few years back when Walker took ownership of his own passion for the team.

“Whenever we played in the Rose Bowl in 2018 against Oklahoma,” Walker said. “That’s really when I truly fell in love with watching UGA. It was fun to watch them, and it was crazy and impressive to watch them play so well for such a long period of time.”

Since then, Georgia has produced many more unforgettable moments for Walker, including back-to-back national championships. He highlighted the 2024 edition of “Clean Old-Fashioned Hate” with Georgia Tech—a game that went into eight overtime periods before Georgia survived to win 44–42. Walker vividly remembers the 2022 game versus Tennessee, too. A few players drew special attention from the longtime fan, as well. Growing up, Walker’s Georgia idols were record-setting running backs Nick Chubb and Todd Gurley. More recently, Stetson Bennett IV and Ladd McConkey move to the top of his favorite players list.

Looking ahead to his second football season with the Spike Squad, Walker has one game circled on the calendar. The Alabama Crimson Tide rolls into Athens on Sept. 27. The UGA Spike Squad has been around since 2010, and 15 years later, Walker has etched his name the storied group’s history. Though he has been a fan for close to a decade at this point, being part of the UGA Spike Squad has only enhanced Walker’s love for the Bulldogs.

“I think [my fandom] has grown more and more because of how I know the teams more,” Walker said. “I have a sense of closeness with them, because I actually go here. They are my team officially now.”

Photo credit: University of Georgia, Division of Marketing & Communications

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