Lucas: Vegas brings chance for Benton to begin building toward ’22
December 27, 2021 | Football, Mike Lucas, Bowl Central
With guidance from Kolodziej, nose tackle returning to UW with eyes on being truly pro-ready
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin defensive line coach Ross Kolodziej liked what happened in Las Vegas during his professional playing days — a couple of United Football League championships — and his affinity for success didn't stay there like the popular Vegas marketing slogan implies. He still likes winning.
Kolodziej first acquired that taste as a D-line starter for the Badgers on back-to-back Big Ten championship teams that won the 1999 and 2000 Rose Bowls. After his seven-year NFL career, he joined the fledgling Las Vegas Locomotives franchise that captured the first two UFL titles in 2009 and 2010.
The Locomotives staged their home games at old and dusty Sam Boyd Stadium, a 25-minute drive from the Strip and fresh and glitzy Allegiant Stadium where Wisconsin will take on Arizona State in the Dec. 30 Las Vegas Bowl. Kolodziej obviously knows his way around these parts. And winning.
"I'm of the opinion — right, wrong, or indifferent — that the magnitude of the game is the outside noise, that is the hype," he said of underselling a postseason game or location through the tiering structure. In the Big Ten pecking order, Las Vegas is No. 4 behind the Rose, Citrus and Outback bowls.
"When you turn on the tape, or when an NFL scout and evaluator turns on the tape, they don't check how many people were in attendance. They don't care where the location of the game was. They're looking at you and the guy that you're going against.
"They're evaluating you relative to that talent. But ultimately, they're looking at you and they're watching the tape. From that standpoint, if your goal is to play as a professional player, if your goal is to come back here (UW) next year and get better and truly compete for a championship …
Pause.
"Then this game is the biggest game that you're ever going to play in because it's the only game we're going to play in (this postseason). That's kind of my message (to his players). It's a great environment and it's about as cool of as a place to play (Vegas) as you're going to get in your career."
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Somewhere there has to be tape of the inaugural UFL championship game in which the Locomotives beat the Florida Tuskers, 20-17, in overtime and Kolodziej nearly pulled off a scoop-and-score (on ex-UW quarterback Brooks Bollinger's fumble) only to be pulled down by a horse-collar tackle.
One can only imagine Wisconsin's junior nose tackle Keeanu Benton hooting and hollering over that replay. As it is, the easygoing, 317-pound Benton has given everybody something to get excited about this season with his steady progression as a three-down player that doesn't leave the field.
There was no better example of his impact than the regular-season finale at Minnesota. In what was a disappointing 23-13 loss, Benton stood out with a career-high six tackles, highlighted by two quarterback sacks of Tanner Morgan. Up until then, he had 2.5 sacks in 31 previous games combined.
"As long as I'm getting pressure and getting the quarterback off his spot, that's the main thing, the sacks are a bonus," said Benton, who cited Kolodziej, the first-year D-line coach, for unleashing his aggressiveness. "One game, I was thinking too much, and he says, 'Just go and get in the backfield.'"
Grinning, he added, "Me getting in the backfield tends to be the best thing anyway."
Benton likes to talk about "being disruptive" to an offense and it resonates with Kolodziej.
"He's so powerful and explosive but most impressive is just his feel of how to play blocks and blockers," Kolodziej said. "Obviously, his wrestling background gives him a great sense of how to use people's weight and momentum against them. He's incredibly talented and gifted that way."
Before engaging in football, wrestling was Benton's passion. Over three varsity seasons on the mat at Janesville Craig High School, he twice advanced to the state finals in the 285-pound division. His overall record was 127-8, including 48 and 42 victories during his junior and senior years, respectively.
Some of Benton's defensive line teammates have been known to playfully challenge and confront him with a wrestling pose during practices. "They will come and test me every once in awhile to see if I've still got it," Benton said. "I took stuff from wrestling and still use it to this day in football."
There was no better example of a wrestler-slash-nose tackle than Tim Krumrie, who took pride in out-leveraging bigger opponents with his hand placement and weight distribution. Krumrie, a consensus All-American and four-year starter for the Badgers, is in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Moreover, he actually competed with the UW wrestling team for a couple of seasons and placed fifth as a heavyweight in the 1980 Big Ten meet. Nobody has proven to be in his class on the gridiron. Maybe nobody ever will be. After all, he did wind up with 444 career tackles lining up over center.
That aside, there's something intriguing about how Benton's game is maturing. Kolodziej said as much, "This year was awesome to see him take that next step. He still has a tremendous amount of room to grow and get better but to see that improvement has been pretty exciting."
Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has noticed the same things about Benton.
"We asked Keeanu to do a lot more consistently than we had in the past," Leonhard said. "He played a lot more in our nickel package and pass rush situations where we told him, 'We're going to leave you on the field and we're not taking you off as much as we have.'
"He had to really mature and grow up physically and mentally and emotionally to be able to play in the middle and play as physically as he does and to build that conditioning and knowledge of what's going on around him because we put a lot more on his plate and I thought he handled it really well.
"Keeanu is truly a guy who wants to take advantage of the day … we're excited to have him for one more year and just see where this can go. The sky is kind of the limit because he's flashed the ability in so many different ways. It's how consistent can you make it? How much of a leader can you be?"
When the leadership topic was broached, Benton responded, "I definitely can't shy away from it. I feel like I got a start on it this year. It just kind of happens naturally. People see what you do and then they try to feed off your energy. That's how I feel like I've been a good piece to this puzzle."
How did Kolodziej approach Benton going through the NFL draft evaluation process?
"With as much information as you can get," he said. "I'm pretty fortunate that I spent seven years as kind of a pro liaison. I know a lot of those scouts and played with guys who are scouts. I can get pretty good information and feedback on where he sits and what decision is the best long-term decision.
"I don't think there's any question he has NFL talent and he'll play on Sundays. But when you have an opportunity to make a significant amount of money staying, right? Everybody ultimately has to make a personal decision in terms of what they're trying to achieve …"
In this capacity, he suggested, it's a decision that is based on long-term and short-term goals.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again, the NFL is not a developmental league. It's a business.
"You want to make sure when you show up there that your game is complete and ready."
As for not suppressing Benton's individuality, Kolodziej said, "Coach Chryst always stresses, 'Be you. Be the good you.' If that's your personality, let that shine to the fullest." Benton has appreciated that freedom dating to when Kolodziej was serving in his previous role as the program's head strength and conditioning coach.
"We had a good relationship already but him coming to the D-line is different," Benton said. "He definitely brings energy, and we get to be ourselves. When it's time to work, everybody knows what we're doing. But he definitely knows how to have a laugh. We have a good level of fun and work."
In creating a balance in the D-line room, Kolodziej can fall back on his 2006 playing experience with the Minnesota Vikings when he came under the wing of then-Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, who moved on the following season to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kolodziej doesn't hesitate to remind his players, "Don't mistake easy-going for 'everything is great for you.' And that's where I try to be honest and give as much feedback." He also preaches capitalizing on opportunities "because this moment is so fleeting and the game passes you by so fast."
Circling back, he added, "The pro mentality is when we're in, we're locked in. And that to me is what a real pro can do. They know how to use their energy more wisely. They know how to study. They know how to prepare. And they know when you can joke and take your foot off the gas, so to speak.
"But as soon as you step in the huddle, it's all gas and no brakes.
"It's kind of knowing when and how to drop the hammer."
Meanwhile, Benton knows that another year of seasoning at Wisconsin will pay dividends.
"It could definitely help me in the weight room especially," he said. "I've got a few lifts that I want to improve on. I also feel I can improve on my first steps and starts and my shuttles and stuff. There's not anything that I can't improve on. I don't think I'm the best I can be at anything."
In this context, Benton has been grateful for senior defensive tackle Matt Henningsen's tutelage. Whenever Benton has been uncertain about something on the field, he said, "I can look to the right and ask, 'Henny, what do I do?' He knows exactly what to do. I'm going to miss that a lot.
"Off the field, he's an awesome person. I just like hanging out with him. Usually every Thursday as a D-line, we'll go out and get some food and he's the guy making sure we know where we're going."
On the flight home from Minnesota, Benton watched the defensive film from the game. When he got back to his apartment, he put on the television copy. He concluded, "Everything didn't flow like in previous games. That's going to happen in football. Learn from it and then flush it down the toilet."
Whatever size chip the UW players are carrying on their shoulder for how they played against the Gophers, it's trumped by a greater urgency for finishing strong against Arizona State on Thursday night. "We can't end on a loss," Benton emphasized. "That's not the way you want to end the season."
How consistent can you make it? How much of a leader can you be?
Benton is hoping what happens in Vegas will carry over to the offseason and 2022.
