Manheim Township standout Erik Benjamin commits to Bloomsburg
One of the best quarterbacks in the L-L in 2015 has made up his mind about his future.
Manheim Township’s Erik Benjamin announced Sunday that he would continue his football career at Bloomsburg University, a member of the PSAC East Division.
Receiving interest from a number of PSAC schools, Benjamin felt a special bond with the Huskies’ staff and players while visiting Bloomsburg.
“I felt like I connected with their coaching staff really well and on my overnight visit, I felt like the players were really welcoming and it felt like home,” Benjamin said.
Also going in Bloomsburg’s favor is their pro-style offense, something Benjamin feels very comfortable in.
“They’re more pro-style. I’m better rolling out on the run and that’s mainly what they consist of in play-action passing, which I’ve done a lot of in high school. It transitions well.”
As a senior, Benjamin threw for over 2400 yards and a league-high 31 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions in a highly competitive Section One.
The Blue Streaks finished the 2015 season with a 9-3 record along with a trip to the District 3 Class AAAA quarterfinals.
“Playing against the competition we faced and having Coach (Mark) Evans as a coach definitely put me ahead of the curve and taught me things I may not have learned if I was in a different division or level.”
Bloomsburg finished their 2015 campaign with a 7-4 record under outgoing senior quarterback Tim Kelly.
Benjamin will enter the Huskies program with two quarterbacks ahead of him, but still has his sights set on the playing as a freshman.
“Obviously, the goal is always going to compete for a job. I’ve talked to the other quarterbacks and they’re definitely worthy guys,” he said. “I just have to go into it with the mindset that I want to play but it’s definitely going to be competitive.”
With about six months left until the beginning of the 2016 college football season, Benjamin admitted than it still hasn’t quite hit him that he’ll be a college quarterback next fall.
“It’s always been a dream of mine since I was little and to know that it’s coming true, it’s just surreal.”