Benton touts W. Va.’s defense
Mountaineers will ‘show everybody,’ linebacker vows.
— West Virginia senior linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton wore a set of rings to Big 12 media days Tuesday. One was for a Russell Athletic Bowl appearance the Mountaineers lost. Benton said the
serves as a reminder of a 10-win season he described as “disappointing.”
Benton, though, did record 80 tackles last year for a team that tied for 35th nationally in scoring defense. On Tuesday, he talked to reporters about the upcoming season and his future: ring
What should we expect from this West Virginia defense?
You should expect 11 dogs flying around. That’s what we do. That’s one thing I will say, Coach (Tony) Gibson always puts us in the best position to make plays, and once you get out there and fly around, you make those plays.
We’ve got a lot of young guys who are ready to get in and show what they have. I can’t wait to see them get out there and show everybody.
How do you characterize last season? You finished No. 18 in the AP poll but lost three times.
(It was a) disappointment, a disappointment in my opinion. It was great; we got a chance to win 10 games. A lot of teams haven’t been able to do that. Coach (Dana) Holgorsen always says, “You never take a win for granted.” In college football, it’s hard to win.
What is it like playing defense in the Big 12?
You’ve got to be ready on any play. You have to be really, really in tune with your preparation the week before because in the Big 12, any play can be a touchdown. You’ve got to understand what teams are trying to do to you, how teams are trying to attack you and how you can combat that.
You’re majoring in journalism and have expressed interest in becoming an analyst. How did you chose that career?
I wanted to be an author and an illustrator when I was younger, so I’ve always liked writing. As I got older and older and more into sports, I sit around and talk about sports all day; why not do it for a living? And that would be a way for me to stay around the game when my career is over.
There are a lot of TV cameras around here. Have you dropped off a demo reel or asked for an internship?
I haven’t. One thing I always do, I just interact with people. Once you do a couple of interviews andpeople get to know who you are and remember your face, that goes a long way. For some reason, I always have some of the best interviews, so people like calling me back.