Gunner Stockton (14) and Malaki Starks (24) embrace before a game. The players had quite a history competing with one another before both committed to Georgia.
ATHENS — Gunner Stockton nearly derailed Malaki Starks football career before the Georgia All-American bloomed into a 5-star prospect.
“Little League, he literally almost made me quit playing football,” Starks said on a Player’s Lounge podcast taped on Tuesday night.
“I played against him in high school, and I’ve been playing against Gunner since I was 7,” Starks said. “Gunner is by far the best safety I’ve ever played against in my life. He almost made me quit playing football, I kid you not.”
Starks (Jefferson) and Stockton (Rabun County) grew up as standout athletes roughly an hour apart in Northeast Georgia, so it’s not surprising their paths crossed in competitions.
Starks’ disclosure of Stockton’s vicious hitting did, however, seem to catch the co-hosts on his podcast off guard.
“Gunner was 5 yards away and he spears me, and he knocks my helmet off,” Starks said. “As soon as I got up I went to the sideline.
“I took my shoulder pads off and I cried the rest of the game. My father cursed me and my mother cursed my father who cursed me. That’s bad.”
Starks said this wasn’t the only time Stockton exposed it.
“He did it when he was older,” Starks said. “If you make a sweep throw, he gets in the hole, hits it and falls. back and you’re done.
“I took that kid to high school, won two games and that’s it. That’s it.”
He’s cocky. Stockton back to Stockton and told everyone the former Rabun County star broke the Georgia high school record.
Georgia QB prospect breaks Stockton’s mark set by Deshaun Watson
Coach Kirby Smart I told him what not Leave the Georgia game.
But according to Starks, it could be important for Stockton, the Bulldogs’ sophomore. quarterback, not to face anyone else. ..
