Mount St. Joe WR Benjamin commits to Temple
With experience at wide receiver, quarterback and running back, it can be somewhat tough to iron down Samuel Benjamin's role in Mount St. Joseph's offense.
But the coaches at Temple University found a description the Gaels’ rising senior likes quite a bit.
First-year Owls coach Steve Addazio and much of his staff came from the University of Florida. And likening Benjamin's future role on their team to that of former Gators star receiver Percy Harvin was one factor in Benjamin committing to Temple on Monday.
"That was kind of surprising to me," Benjamin said of the comparison to Harvin, one of his favorite NFL players. "I wasn't expecting it. It's a good honor to be compared to a player like Percy Harvin."
Benjamin gave his commitment while on an unofficial visit Monday. He also had verbal offers from Ohio and Marshall and received strong interest from Virginia, Mount St. Joseph coach Blake Henry said.
Last season, his first on the Gaels' varsity squad, Benjamin combined for more than 1,000 yards rushing and receiving and scored four touchdowns.
"He's just an explosive athlete," said Henry, who added that the 6-foot, 190-pound player is "the strongest kid on the team."
Benjamin -- who is expected to play mostly slot receiver and strong safety this fall -- benches 320 pounds and squats 470, Henry said, and his 40-yard dash time has been clocked at below 4.4 seconds.
Henry believes Benjamin's commitment in the weight room was a major factor in his recruitment. Benjamin was offered a scholarship after visiting Temple for a one-day camp in May.
Despite receiving interest from other programs, Benjamin said the fact that Temple is "one of the most diverse schools in the country" was a big part of what drew him to the Philadelphia campus.
If his role in the Owls' offense is just as diverse, Benjamin won't have any complaints.
Photo by Steve Ruark for The Baltimore Sun (Benjamin at right)
