A year ago, Derrick Craine was awarded the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football Winter Warrior award, and he proceeded to set the Mocs' single-season rushing record with 1,251 yards in the 2015 season.
If this season's award winner can have that sort of success, it could be a special year for the team.
Alejandro Bennifield was named the Warrior after a winter in which the junior stepped into not only the starting quarterback position but also a position of leadership for a team that returns 18 of 24 starters (including kickers).
He had a decent day Saturday in the Blue-Gold spring game at Finley Stadium, completing 10 of his 19 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. He showed his potential on the score, weaving his way around the pocket, keeping his eyes up and hitting Kota Nix for a 45-yard touchdown pass, but he also yielded interceptions on his first two drives of the game.
"I wasn't thrilled with the interceptions, but you can see there's a live arm and he can run," UTC coach Russ Huesman said afterward. "We'll watch film, see how he did and how he adjusted, but we know he's a good player and will lead this team."
Huesman, in his eighth year as the Mocs' head coach, said seeing his starting quarterback turn into a leader is "huge" for the team.
"We've seen the maturation process with Alejandro the last couple of years. He was a little immature and wasn't taking things seriously enough, but he's turned into a really good leader and a hard worker," Huesman said. "He's got great leadership, and he's got to continue to do that going into the summertime, but it's really cool he got that (award)."
Bennifield did shake off the two early interceptions and played well the rest of the way, participating only in the first half. He constantly remains even keel while on the field, his demeanor hardly changing.
"I've got some things to work out. I've got to keep the ball out of the defense's hands, but I thought we (the offense) made plays on both sides," he said. "The defense was good; the offense played pretty well. I feel things are going pretty well, but we're going to work on our timing this summer so it's perfect, because we're striving to be perfect.
"I never want to get too low or too high. I want to stay even because you never know what to expect, so I stay even so I can be ready for whatever happens."
UTC players who were recruited before or at the same time as Bennifield have seen the growth of the 6-foot-2, 220-pound lefty. His maturation could lead to a special season as he grows with an offense that returns eight players who started over half of last season's games.
"He came a long way in leading the offense and our team," linebacker Nakevion Leslie said. "For him to win the Winter Warrior award shows how hard he's worked this offseason, and you can see a bright future for him and this team.
"I would not be surprised if you see him breaking records within the next couple of years. I would not be surprised at all. He's a pretty good athlete."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.