ATHENS —One thousand and sixty-two days. That’s how long it had been since Georgia wide receiver Dominick Blaylock scored a touchdown for the Bulldogs.

Prior to Saturday, the last time it happened came in Georgia’s 2019 win over Georgia Tech. Blaylock hauled in a nine-yard pass from Jake Fromm to put the Bulldogs up 38-7.

Most people though probably better remember that play for something George Pickens did, as he was throwing Georgia Tech defender Tre Swilling into a wall as Blaylock was celebrating the fifth touchdown catch of his freshman season.

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Blaylock tore his left ACL in the next game, Georgia’s 37-10 loss to LSU. He re-tore that same ACL in August of next year. A hamstring injury slowed him for most of last season, limiting him to just four games.

But after multiple surgeries and setbacks, there Blaylock was, making a cut on what he called a simple five-yard route. Quarterback Stetson Bennett placed a perfect pass, Blaylock plucked it from the air, turned upfield and made his way into the end zone to give Georgia a 28-0 lead with 1:06 remaining in the first half.

“It was a great play. It was a great throw by Stetson on that play,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We had gotten in ourselves in a third and maybe 7 or 8. It was long. A great throw and great catch. Great athleticism by Dom to turn it up there to get the touchdown.”

Blaylock was mobbed by his teammates in the moments after the touchdown. It was a long time coming for a player who continues to emerge as a key contributor in Georgia’s wide receiver room.

Ever humble, Blaylock was asked multiple times on Saturday to walk reporters through the touchdown catch. Instead of focusing on himself or his emotions, he instead wanted to speak about his teammates and how they helped get to this point.

“It feels great,” Blaylock said. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates like I said, but it was a great feeling being back in the end zone, being a part of this team. Just looking in the stands, seeing all the red and all the fans, it was awesome. Just a great experience all around.”

He praised the pass Bennett threw to him, making it easy for the junior to slip into the end zone. It was one of two passes Blaylock caught on the day, the other being a 25-yard from Bennett. Blaylock found himself wide open, with Bennett floating the ball to him just before being drilled.

While Georgia has yet to fully unleash Blaylock as he rotates with Ladd McConkey and Kearis Jackson, there’s a real sense of trust between Bennett and Blaylock. It was evident on his touchdown grab, as Bennett squeezed the pass into a tight window on third down.

“Some of the best ball skills we have on the team. Just a player. Just a dude,” Bennett said. “Knows how to get open, knows how to catch the ball. Knows what we’re trying to do and blocks his butt off.”

After the grab, Blaylock referenced multiple times how he was at a loss for words following his touchdown. That may have simply been because he had been asked so frequently to describe it to so many different people in the post-game scrum.

To this point, Blaylock is a great story about perseverance. Tearing the same ACL twice is extremely rare. Coming back and becoming a big-time wide receiver in the SEC is even more unlikely.

But most people, much less college football players, aren’t built like Blaylock. As it is quickly becoming a cliche in the modern lexicon, Blaylock is built different.

Not just physically, what with him still finding ways to consistently best defensive backs in coverage but mentally as well. There’s a mental toughness to Blaylock that can’t be measured with a stopwatch or ruler.

There’s a mental aspect to Blaylock’s game that keeps him going. That keeps him getting better, regardless of how his knee is feeling.

Georgia is pretty banged up at the moment when it comes to the wide receiver position. McConkey left Saturday’s game with an injury while AD Mitchell was held out once again. Those injuries have created an opportunity for Blaylock to carve out a more significant role within the offense.

Related: Kirby Smart on Georgia football injuries after Vanderbilt: ‘I don’t know that we’ll be completely healthy’

After Saturday’s game, it’s clear Blaylock is a player Georgia can trust and rely on in crucial situations.

And you can bet he’s not going to have to wait another 1,062 days to find the end zone for the Bulldogs.

“I know he’s been through a number of injuries, a lot of adversity, and to see him come in and work every day, grind every day and for all that work to pay off, it’s really heartwarming,” Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint said. “Everybody was excited for him. I was excited for him. I’m just glad he was able to get in today, and I just keep rooting for him.”

Dominick Blaylock ‘at a loss for words’ as he scores first touchdown since ACL injuries

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