Wake Forest Athletics
Player Spotlight: Senior Offensive Tackle Tim Bennett
10/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 13, 2002
When most seniors on a college football team cross the stage at graduation and receive their diploma, they have big dreams of playing in the National Football League and continuing their games on at higher and more competitive playing fields, not staying on for another year at school to play football and continuing their studies for a post graduate degree.
For senior offensive lineman Tim Bennett, however, he chose the latter option, deciding to stay at Wake Forest for a fifth year and enrolling in postgraduate courses.
From the beginning when Bennett enrolled as a freshman, he knew Wake was the perfect place for him with the great combination of athletics with academics.
??My mom has always been my inspiration in the classroom. She is a teacher and has always been the one to help me study and push me to succeed,?? stated Bennett, ??Wake was just a good fit. It is in a big time conference and is a big time school. You receive a great degree. If football does not work out in my future, I will have something to fall back on.??
Achieving his success both in the classroom and on the playing field has come fairly easy for Bennett.
??It is all about the art of balancing and good time management. You just have to get used to everything, especially the work and practice schedule. It is difficult at first, but then you just get used to it,?? replied Bennett.
His dedication to the classroom, shown through having one of the highest grade point averages on the team and multiple appearances for the past four years on the Dean??s List, has not gone unnoticed by his teammates either. Fellow senior James MacPherson remarked, ??Tim works hard 24/7 trying to be the best in everything, but especially with schoolwork. He excels on the field, but more importantly in the classroom. He??s just a great guy who is an amazing student and player with a lot of talent.??
His talent in the classroom has carried over onto the playing field as well. Being one of seventeen seniors, Bennett has used his leadership position to help carry the team through the battles of college football, especially during the transition to a new coaching staff.
??This is our year. Our senior class is very significant for the team, especially for the younger players. We are united and just want to lead by example. If we come up at practice and work harder, the rest of the team will,?? answered Bennett.
Not one to stand or take credit in the spotlight, Bennett is reserved. He lets his work on and off the playing field define him.
??Tim is one of the best players on the team and just a great kid to be around. He is one of the main reasons why we are winning,?? said offensive line coach Jeff Mullen. ??He is a quiet guy, but his talent on the field is where he is a leader. He always is making the right block and is in the correct position. Tim is just the whole package and we can always count on him to be there and play well.??
Coming from a very athletic family with two brothers and a father who all played collegiate sports, it has only been natural for Bennett to excel on the playing field. However, the desire to perform well and establish an excellent career while at Wake Forest comes from competition with his father who was a member of Wake??s 1970 ACC Championship football team.
??My parents attend every game, and I want to impress them along with myself. I??m happy if my father is pleased with my performance,?? remarked Bennett.
Even though he doesn??t have any expectations or pressure from his father, there is still an ongoing battle between the two at home.
??We battle over who is better. He may have won the ACC Championship, but I have a ring from the Aloha Bowl in 1999. It??s all about the rings. I just want another one and then I will be on top,?? Bennett said.
With his quiet demeanor, Tim Bennett has not been affected by all of the hoopla that surrounds college football. He has silently created a place for himself as a leader on the team as well as within the Wake Forest community through his actions on and off the playing field. Even with the ups and downs that he has experienced throughout his collegiate career with coaching changes, injuries, and close losses, Bennett has been a rock for his team.
??All things happen for a reason,?? Bennett said. ??You just have to keep your head up and stick with it. Personally, I just want to be out there playing on the field.??
