Consistency the key to longevity

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This article was published 21/10/2021 (1416 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At the time, Mike Benson had no idea that throwing a ball between his legs was going to open a lot of doors for him.

The Winnipegger was a linebacker, safety, and fullback at St. Paul’s High School in Grade 10 when the team’s long snapper got hurt.

“Our coach was basically like ‘Who can throw a ball between their legs?’ and I’m like ‘Well, it doesn’t look that hard,'” Benson said.

It’s not as simple as it looks, but Benson, now 34, has carved out quite the career for himself by making snapping look easy. The first-year Blue Bomber, who had previous CFL stints in Edmonton, Toronto, B.C., Ottawa, and Montreal, will play his 100th career professional game Saturday when Winnipeg (9-1) hosts the Lions (4-5) at IG Field. 

“The secret is just being consistent. Don’t tread too far off your routine. Stay consistent with your training in the offseason. It’s like a golf swing or a basketball free throw. You got to do the same thing every single time. You got to be in the same routine and keep it like that and not be caught in your head too much,” Benson said. 

“But you know what, to be able to play for my hometown, especially for Game 100, to have my newborn son (Wilder) be able to watch the game even though he’s six months old, totally (tops) everything that’s going on, though. To be able to do Game 100 in front of my son, my fiancé, my family is going to be very special. I’m very excited and cannot wait to get on the field on Saturday.”

It was a long journey for Benson to solidify himself as a CFL starter. He played junior football for the Winnipeg Rifles before moving on to play at the U Sports level in Wolfville, N.S., for the Acadia Axemen. He signed with Edmonton as an undrafted rookie in 2012, but spent most of the time on the practice roster before getting released. The Argos then scooped him up, but Benson failed to make the team. He finally found a home in 2014 in B.C. as the Lions were in need of a long snapper as Jordan Matechuk suffered a finger injury that eventually led to amputation. Benson became the starter and remained with the Lions for five years. The Lions released him after 2018 and Benson went on to play five games for the Redblacks in 2019. The Alouettes signed Benson for 2020, but owing to the cancelled season, he never suited up for Montreal. The Bombers decided to not bring back 40-year-old Chad Rempel, who now plays in Edmonton, for 2021, opening up the long snapping job and giving Benson an opportunity to return home.

“I think any kid in Manitoba that plays football in Manitoba has that dream of being able to play for the Blue and Gold… The Mike Benson Canada wide tour has finally come to its last stop. I’m excited to play a few more years here hopefully and finish this season on top. It’s been a dream come true, honestly. You go way back to Canada Inns Stadium with the metal seats and you’re banging up on the top of your rafters and making all the noise and you’re like ‘What would it be like to be on the field?’ and now you’re finally here and the atmosphere here is electric,” Benson said.

“To be able to play in front of your family and friends every single home game is something I hope everybody gets to experience but I’m truly grateful to experience it now.”

But in all of Benson’s experiences, he’s never had a year like this one where he’s worked with soon-to-be five different kickers. Tyler Crapigna and rookie Marc Liegghio had shots at it at the beginning of the season. Ali Mourtada is the current placekicker, but he’s 8-for-15 on the year and could find himself without a job soon as the Bombers made a deal with the Lions to acquire all-star kicker Sergio Castillo who was previously with the New York Jets. Castillo is expected to join the Blue and Gold after their Week 13 bye. This week also saw the Bombers sign Canadian kicker Gabriel Ferraro to the practice roster.

“You know, I’m a big fan of meeting new people and making new friends so I’ve made four friends so far and I’ve known Serg from previous years… It’s been a good year so far. All the kickers and everything, it’s been great,” said Benson.

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“I’m excited to add a new friend to the friend list there and get things going with Serg but we’re also excited to see where we’re going right now.”

When you ask head coach Mike O’Shea, Benson brings a lot more to the table than his snapping skills. In a season where there’s been so much instability at the kicking position, Benson’s presence has been incredibly valuable.

“When you have young guys who are new to the CFL, a guy that’s been there and done that is very important,” O’Shea said.

“He’s a great influence on these guys in terms of just being around them all day and making sure they’re doing the right things and making sure they’re remaining fairly calm. He’s seen it all.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.