From the time Alejandro Bennifield started playing football at the age of 5, he was willing to do whatever it took to win. He started his career at right tackle and played many positions during his early years in the sport.
But it didn’t take long to figure out that he was a quarterback. Even if that’s not what he really wanted to play.
“Every team I was on, I was pretty much the only guy that could throw the ball and get it to receivers,” he said this summer. “When I was younger, I wanted to play receiver – I felt like it would be cool to catch a touchdown, run in the end zone – but I was always the one that could throw, the most accurate, the best arm.
“It just stuck with me, and I ended up loving the position.”
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound left-hander bided his time at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, spending three years – a redshirt and two on-field seasons – as a backup to three-time Southern Conference offensive player of the year Jacob Huesman. Bennifield played in a variety of roles as a sophomore, lining up at quarterback, running back and receiver and totaling 140 rushing yards, 41 receiving yards, 138 passing yards and three touchdowns.
Last year in his first season as the starting quarterback, he threw for 2,622 yards and 26 touchdowns and ran for 377 yards and six scores. His passing total was the sixth-best single-season total in school history, his passing-touchdowns total tied for second-best; his total offense was the fifth-best.
Now in his final season, he believes he’s become an even better player, and teammates have seen the growth and agree.
“Dro has grown into an incredible leader,” senior defensive end D.J. Prather said. “We always cut up with him, talk smack with him during practices, but he’s grown into an incredible leader the way he leads the offense, the way he’s developed into learning this new offense. I joke with him all the time, telling him, ‘You know you don’t know what you’re doing on this play,’ but then he throws a touchdown.
“He’s grown into an incredible leader, and it’s been a joy being here with him through these five years.”
The leadership aspect hasn’t come naturally for Bennifield. He’s always been a confident player but not an outwardly vocal one. Yet as he’s grown even more into his position as the starting quarterback for a Top 25 team, he’s developed in the leader role, too.
“Being human, you just want things to work naturally, and sometimes things aren’t going to work like that,” Bennifield said. “I feel like my job on this team is to let guys know when things aren’t OK and we’re not doing what we’re supposed to do, so it’s my job to voice that. Coaches can say it all day, tell you over and over, but it’s repetitive – in one ear and out the other.
“I feel like I’m the guy on the team that you’ll respect what I have to say, so I have to say it.”
UTC’s new coaching staff includes four former college quarterbacks: head coach Tom Arth, offensive coordinator Justin Rascati, receivers coach Ryan Aplin and offensive quality control assistant Patrick Kramer. After getting his reps in during a drill, Bennifield usually is seen in conversations with Arth, Rascati and Kramer, each of whom feels that for the team to be successful in 2017, Bennifield must be a big reason.
“I think that’s been a lot of fun to see Dro grow in his understanding of football, his role in our offense, managing everything, calling plays, getting in the right protection and making the right identification calls,” Arth said. “His knowledge and understanding of football has improved so much, and I think it’s been fun to watch.
“For a quarterback, that’s what you want, and with his talent and his aspiration to have opportunities to continue to play football, this is exciting for him to be in this type of offense that’s challenging in those ways and preparing for those things. It’s fun to watch him grow and develop as a quarterback and a leader of our offense.”
Bennifield didn’t feel as though he fully lived up to his potential in his first season as a starter, but he was at his best in the season finale at Sam Houston State, throwing for 295 yards and rushing for a career-high 85 in the 41-36 loss. It’s a defeat that the returning players haven’t forgotten, remembering that during offseason training and practices. There’s still a lot of pride in the program, even with the loss of five All-Americans and former head coach Russ Huesman and staff, there’s no reason to suspect that the Mocs won’t be really good in 2017.
Especially with No. 15 running the offense.
“I feel like there’s a lot we left out on the field – as players, coaches, the entire team,” Bennifield said. “We’ve been focused on our offseason, locking in because last year wasn’t good enough and we have to be better this year. Everyone here has been on that level of being better than it was last year, especially the returning guys. They know what we did, where we have to go and what we have to be.
“Coming into this season, with my preparation, if I can play at my top performance, our team will win every game. I can lead the team by example just by my performance. If I come out with energy and have success, everybody will feed off that.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.