Online Now 783

The Lions' Pride

Black shoes, basic blues. No names, all game

On this Board 536
Record: 4947 (7/23/2012)

Online now 783
Record: 7381 (3/13/2012)

Boards ▾

The Lions' Pride

Black shoes, basic blues. No names, all game

Ticket Exchange

Buy, sell and swap tickets

Reply

York Daily Record Article - Al-Rasheed Benton (LB, New Jersey)

  • Frank Bodani: PSU seeks under-the-radar New Jersey linebacker
    By FRANK BODANI
    Daily Record/Sunday News

    He's the type of under-the-radar kid you want to sign up as soon as possible.
    At least before the Ohio States and Alabamas figure out exactly who he is.

    And who he can become.

    Al-Rasheed Benton is an elite athlete at a forgotten high school in a not-so-nice part of Newark, N.J.

    He changed football schools because his parents moved. And he doesn't attend many of the publicity-driven college combines and camps.

    So most of his scholarship offers still are of the Temple and Toledo variety.

    But Penn State knows about him. And wants him at linebacker.

    One recruiting expert says Benton resembles former Penn State star NaVorro Bowman.

    Another expert: "He's a big kid who really is explosive and just needs to slow himself down a little. When he arrives at the football, he really hits people. He's a head hunter," Rivals.com's Mike Farrell said to compliment, not criticize.

    Benton's New Jersey trainer says he will immediately enter college the physical equal of most at his position, even at a place like Penn State.

    His high school coach has known him since he was old enough to walk.

    "From 5 years old playing around he's always been hitting guys in the mouth," said Shabazz High's Darnell Grant. "It's in his DNA.

    "When he gets to you he always has bad intentions."

    That means Benton is a wonderfully unique combination: He's the nastiest, hardest-hitting and yet most respectful, caring and well-spoken kid Penn State will recruit this year.

    Consider that just getting to his vocational school takes him two bus rides, a train transfer and nearly 90 minutes each way.

    He wants to be an electrical engineer.

    "I always wanted to be hands-on," he said. "With electrical, even if I don't get into it as a career, it's something you can always use. Like when you're buying a house, you don't want to get cheated. If I have a background in electrical I know how long it takes someone to do the work and what it takes to do the work."

    He also has his younger siblings to look after. He has twin 14-year-old sisters and brothers who are 7 and 5.

    He watches over them. He lectures them and instructs them in staying away from everything wrong with his neighborhood.

    "I actually do not like living here and yet I'm glad I do. I'm glad I live in a place like this because it opens your eyes to so much stuff. Living here I see stuff that makes you grow up faster.

    "Too much violence, ignorance, negligence."

    That is why he's thrown himself into working out under Jim Waldron at the Powerhouse Gym in South Hackensack, N.J.

    Waldron trains a variety of college and NFL players.

    "Training for me is my safe haven," Benton said. "Training is my way to block out the rest of the world and just focus on me. And the fact that I love training.

    "We do exotic training. Some MMA, a lot of cardio. We do things regular people wouldn't be able to do. We have a room in the back where nobody can see us because people would try this stuff and hurt themselves."

    They do exercises with ropes, sledgehammers, sleds and boxes.

    Benton says he is 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds and "nothing shakes on him. He's all muscle," Coach Grant said. "He's 230, but you would never guess."

    Again, all of that is only part of the package, though.

    Benton wants to attend one of Penn State's summer camps but is unsure because he helps care for his mother, who just had knee replacement surgery.

    He also has those little brothers.

    "I'm their biggest role model. I don't want them to hide from stuff around here, but I want to put them in the opportunity where they don't have to look over their shoulder after school."

    Soon, he will be a high school senior with his college chosen. Always, he will be the kind of player expected to use football to accomplish so much more.

    Someone a lot of coaches just don't know about yet.

    "He's a steal for any school that gets him," Waldron said. "If this kid goes to Penn State everybody will be asking about where they found him."

    Frank Bodani: PSU seeks under-the-radar New Jersey linebacker - The York Daily Record

    Hes the type of under-the-radar kid you want to sign up as soon as possible. At least before the Ohio States and Alabamas figure out exactly who he is. And who he can become.

    www.ydr.com

    If winning was easy even losers would do it.

    Lang06

  • Thanks for the post! I love Benton as a prospect and maybe even more as a person. The kid seems to be all you want out of a student athlete at Penn State.

    This post was edited by Lion_in_CBus on 6/4/2012 at 12:03 PM

    Lion_in_CBus

  • This guy screams blue and white!! Hopefully his mom gets better so he can make the trip, what's not to love?

    TheBeltonBounce

  • Good article. Benton is my no. 1 linebacker target. That guy is going to be a stud.

    Nitpicking here - my only problem with that article was this line - "At least before the Ohio States and Alabamas figure out exactly who he is."

    Come on Frank, Linebacker U figured out who he is. That's all that's needed.

    PSU17

  • Guh. Wish he would commit already. Love everything about this kid.

    new-era said... Psu doesnt have enough to beat the conferences better teams and wiscy is one of them.

    leftcoastlion

  • This post is for members of Lions247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial
    signature image signature image signature image

    WE ARE! And we will always be...

    rmj147

  • PSU17 said...

    Nitpicking here - my only problem with that article was this line - "At least before the Ohio States and Alabamas figure out exactly who he is."

    Come on Frank, Linebacker U figured out who he is. That's all that's needed.

    I have to agree, I understand that over the last decade (or so), we haven't been a top 10 program. However, within my lifetime...I remember an OSU team that couldn't beat South Carolina in back-to-back outback bowl games and Bama teams that weren't that great.

    Lion_in_CBus

  • This post is for members of Lions247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial

    chasfcd11

  • This post is for members of Lions247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial
    signature image signature image signature image

    WE ARE! And we will always be...

    rmj147

  • This post is for members of Lions247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial

    MTayl72

  • This post is for members of Lions247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial
    signature image signature image signature image

    Charlie Mike.

    Kinnetaw

  • This post is for members of Lions247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial

    BerneseMtDog

  • We have to get Benton. Perfect fit.

    Posas14

  • This post is for members of Lions247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial
    signature image signature image

    If you havent signed up for premium 247 yet..take my word for it...its worth it!

    Seltz

  • This post is for members of Lions247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial
    signature image signature image signature image

    WE ARE! And we will always be...

    rmj147

  • Great write-up, thanks for sharing.

    Highlight videos aren't *everything* for evaluations, but this kid has a great one on youtube. I'd love to see him in Blue-and-White.

    psuKinger

  • This post is for members of Lions247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial

    "One man didn't build this program and one man sure as hell cannot tear it down."

    LaJollaLion

  • I just watched his highlight video on youtube, and my jaw dropped and stayed open from start to finish.

    NitLionsGo

  • I feel like he won't be a linebacker much longer.

    If winning was easy even losers would do it.

    Lang06

  • NitLionsGo said...

    I just watched his highlight video on youtube, and my jaw dropped and stayed open from start to finish.

    You just watched it? Where have you been brother? hahaha

    signature image signature image

    If you havent signed up for premium 247 yet..take my word for it...its worth it!

    Seltz

  • I like this young man more and more with every posting about him. He screams Blue and White.

    signature image

    'Respect All Fear None."

    mezzman99

  • My number 1 LB on our board. One of the most exciting LB prospects that I'd love to see at PSU ever. Stars or not, LBU found him in true LBU form and hope we can reel him in. We are starting to roll again in recruiting, which is great. We have a class so far of people with extreme integrity and character and Benton would fit right in. I seriously think we are building a NC contender starting with this class and onward. We might not be top 10 this season, but our staff is already so far ahead for 2014 than we would have been under the previous staff and will be building relationships with those 2014 recruits for awhile. We are also in the lead or near the top with a decent bit of 2014 big time prospects already.

    I could see us getting a 2013 Michigan class for the 2014 class. That is #1. We have been close and been in top 5 and 10 every so long, with a staff who had 1/4th of the energy than the old staff. I love how 99% of the prospects all say that the staff is so down to earth, tells it like it is (like we have people higher on the board, but we are still extremely interested and you might get an offer down the road), wont throw out schollys to everyone (like it seems like every school in the country except a few do), makes them feel like they are already a part of the family, etc...

    I pray Benton comes on board soon, I'd hate to lose him, but I am not worried as I think we match up or have more to offer than every other CFB team/school out there.

    You find out life's this game of inches, so is football. Because in either game, life or football-the margin for error is so small. -Pacino

    tmaluchnik

  • I also love how whenever a recruit commits, that all of our commits and some prospects all start tweeting each other with what seems like so much excitement. So awesome to see and thank you Twitter for this. I think I follow Benton and would guess that a majority of his followers are prob. PSU fans after our offer. If he commits his Twitter followers will at the least double like it seems with all our commits. I love PSU, its fans (except those who take it to far on social media with recruits), and this class so far.

    You find out life's this game of inches, so is football. Because in either game, life or football-the margin for error is so small. -Pacino

    tmaluchnik

  • This post is for members of Lions247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial

    PennStateFan33

  • This post is for members of Lions247 only. Join now! 30-Day Free Trial

    NittnyLion14