Blue-Grey Football Alumni Update: Trinity Benson
Plenty of prospects, some of them high-profile, others under-the-radar, have come and gone in the past decade or so, since the inception of the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl. Still, the talent level across the board on the national scene has been about as good as it gets.
Things don’t figure to change anytime soon as the hype continues to build for this year’s games: Dec. 17 and Jan. 29 at Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, also Jan. 5 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium and Jan. 14 at Houston Texans’ NRG Stadium.
To gain a better understanding about the rapidly growing direction of things, perhaps now it’s best to take some time to reflect on the humble beginnings. Therefore, moving forward, the plan is to more closely examine the brand’s many alumni from all over the country.
Trinity Benson from Lewisville (TX) is in the spotlight. As a member of the Class of 2015, some might remember, he was an integral part of the West’s 7-6 victory over East in the game at AT&T Stadium, with the venue essentially right in his own backyard
Keep in mind, there was no shortage of talent in that one, with a number of high-profile prospects such as Oklahoma State commit Jalen McCleskey, Boise State commit Brett Rypien, Nebraska commit Avery Anderson, with others. Still, Benson held his own.
Similar to his peers, Benson moved on to the next level. Unlike his counterparts, however, the path didn’t include a final destination to a well-known national name for college ball. Instead, the journey took a much different turn, though equally successful.
He’s still getting the job done, only at East Central University, an NCAA Division II program. The 6-foot and 185-pound senior wide receiver will be in action against Southwestern Oklahoma on Sept. 29 in a Great American Conconference game at 6 p.m. (EST).
A four-year starter for the Tigers, Benson is on pace to finish his career among the team leaders in nearly every single significant offensive category. As a junior, he took a major step forward and finished with 764 receiving yards on 54 catches with five touchdowns.
As a sophomore, it was a sign of good things to come with totals that included 11.3 yards per catch, 19.2 yards per kickoff return and 23.0 yards per punt return. As a freshman, he opened up plenty of eyes and averaged 20.1 per kickoff return and 20.2 yards per catch.
Keep in mind, after flashing potential at the brand’s All-American Bowl in Texas with 112 receiving yards on five catches, Benson had options. Schools showed interest from Conference USA, same for the Mountain West Conference. He had other plans, though.
Things worked out for the best too, considering all the buzz surrounding his production. Talk has started about Benson having the opportunity to play on Sundays too, perhaps as an undrafted free agent should he not be selected in the NFL Draft. Stay tuned.