The next installment of “Where Are They Now?” takes us to Michigan to catch up with former Central Michigan Rubio Long Snapper Brian Bennyhoff!
What is your current occupation?
I’m a CPA with Ernst & Young in our Assurance practice, performing financial statement audits primarily in the automotive industry.
Where do you live?
I live outside Metro Detroit in Lake Orion, MI #WhereLivingIsAVacation
Married? Kids?
I’ve been married to my beautiful wife, Kelly, for 13 months, and we’re expecting our first child in late January!
What is your fondest memory of your time playing college football?
The obvious answer is winning a MAC championship my sophomore year, as well as the GMAC bowl and finishing #23 in the nation. The not as obvious answer is looking back on all the time spent in the locker room, every single day, with such good friends and teammates. When we all get together now we reminisce much more on the fun in the locker room than the time we spent on the field. When I got married, my teammates roasted me at the rehearsal dinner. Nearly all the things on the list were inside jokes from the locker room. That’s the kind of stuff you never forget.
If you could give ONE bit of advice to the current Rubio Long Snappers, what would it be?
Listen to everything Rubio tells you, and I’m not just saying with snapping. He’s had more interaction with coaches, athletes, and the recruiting process than many, many other people. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s genuinely interested in what’s best for you. That includes the life advice he’ll casually offer or if you ask him his opinion. I wasn’t interested in Central Michigan when they first talked to me, but Rubio helped me keep that door open because he knew I’d need it. When other expected offers evaporated, CMU was still there, and I’d choose them again from the start if I could.
If you could give ONE bit of advice to the current Rubio Long Snapping PARENTS, what would it be?
The hard work helping train your son pays off. The snaps you catch every night, sometimes in the most unlikely places (i.e. hotel hallways), make a difference. Wherever your son plays next, whatever level, you take those memories with you, and the other parents you meet along the way who have made similar sacrifices will be your closest friends for the next 4/5 years during college.
When was the last time you snapped a ball and for what reason?
A few weeks ago. I lead a Bible study for a group of high school freshmen guys, and they wanted to see if I still have it. Spoiler alert: I do.
If you could go back and play football in college again, would you go to the same school or a different one? Why?
CMU, hands down. See my previous answers for obvious reasons why. The teammates I’ve met along the way, the lifelong memories we forged, the impact they still have on me, and the impact it had on my parents and family along the way are all things I wouldn’t trade for the world. The winning was pretty great, too!
Any regrets during college? Something you wish you had done or maybe hadn’t?
This goes both ways, regrets of things I did and didn’t do, and the lesson is learning which battles to fight. Coming back from injury, there were times I pushed too hard with my coaches to get back on the field and in the wrong way, and times I didn’t fight hard enough. Know which battles to fight, and fight them with strategy instead of force.
What tremendous thing have you been a part of or experienced since you graduated?
This could be a big list so I’ll keep if succinct. Personally, I’ve gotten married, am expecting my first child, ran two half-marathons, bought our first house, and love the community we’re blessed to live life with in Lake Orion and at Kensington Community Church. Professionally, I’ve earned my CPA, am a senior auditor at the firm I’ve dreamed of working at since I was young, and seen great team success by passing a PCAOB inspection (my profession’s regulator).
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