Tereshinski attended Athens Academy, a private school in Georgia, where he led the Spartans for his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. Tereshinski threw for 2,100 yards and 17 touchdowns in his senior year at Athens Academy in 2001, and was heavily recruited by Harvard University.
College career
2005 season
Tereshinski played in six games during UGA's 2005 season. He played the entire game against the University of Florida Gators, which the Bulldogs narrowly lost. Tereshinski completed 8 of 21 passes for 100 yards, with an interception, and he scored Georgia's only touchdown in the 14–10 defeat, catching a touchdown pass from tailback Thomas Brown. Starter D.J. Shockley returned the following week from an MCL sprain, and Tereshinski was not seen again until Georgia's SEC Eastern Division-clinching win over the University of Kentucky Wildcats, in which he threw his first career touchdown pass, a 27-yarder to A.J. Bryant.
2006 Season
Tereshinski was the starting quarterback until injuring his ankle in the second game of the season. He was replaced by freshman Matthew Stafford. After the 5th game of the season, Georgia coach Mark Richt said that Tereshinski's ankle had healed and that he would again be the starting quarterback for Georgia's 6th game, against the Tennessee Volunteers. Georgia's Tereshinski led offense had a considerable lead going into halftime, but after a disastrous second half, Georgia suffered a 51-33 loss to Tennessee. Tereshinski started again the next week, against the Vanderbilt Commodores, and the entire Georgia offense was once again lackluster in a 24-22 loss. After the game, Richt benched Tereshinski in favor of Stafford.
In 2005, Joe Tereshinski III became the fourth Tereshinski to play for the University of Georgia's football team, as well as the fourth to win a Southeastern Conference Championship there. Tereshinski's grandfather, Joe Tereshinski, Sr., played for the 1942 and 1946 SEC and National Championship teams. His father, Joe Tereshinski, Jr., and his uncle, Wally Tereshinski both played on the 1976 SEC Championship team. His father has also been the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Bulldogs since 1982. His younger brother, John, plays football for Wake Forest University. Joe III was also a part of the 2002 SEC Championship team, redshirting his freshman year. His wife is named Jill Tereshinski and they have three kids Molly, JT, and William