“I’d bring them along for my online sessions with all of my trainers or I’d help them learn the plays so we can get ahead of this.” “That’s how I try to lead, just by be- ing a friendly guy and being a brother, but also just showing them how to work and how to get to the next level.” Coach Thompson says this drive has significantly contributed to the team, which is critical now that Ben is entering his senior season for the Tornado team. “Ben has always been a leader by example,” he says. “He has now established himself as a vocal leader both on and off the field. He holds himself accountable and has started holding his teammates to that same standard he has set for himself.” This drive, this work ethic, and this talent has attracted some attention for Ben, too, which is the first step in seeing his dreams come true. Scouts are already on the line and sure to be in the stands during his senior season. Johnny says that stakes are really what get Ben into overdrive. “The bigger the game, the more excited he is,” he says. “The crowds during games like the Mayfield- Tilghman game, that is what feathers his bed. He lives for those moments and those crowds, that rush.” You might be thinking that it is all football, all the time, for this kid, but you’d be incredibly wrong. Every bit of grit and determination that he’s learned throughout his life, he brings to every aspect of his life. Whether it is ex- celling academically or helping out with special needs students throughout the day, Ben is an “all-in” kind of kid. He learned it from his mom. “My family, overall, but especially my mom, always pushed for high academic standards,” he says. “So, for me, school is always first. I love football, it’s a part of me, but the academics always come first.” And he does have a back-up plan when his football career ends. And it’s a true Super Ben back-up plan indeed. He wants to be a surgeon. “Maybe an orthopedic surgeon because I want to give back and help athletes the way I was helped after my injuries,” he says. “Or maybe a neurosurgeon because of my mom’s brain cancer. I’ve always wanted to give back and help families.” “Or maybe burn surgeon or plastic surgeon because I’ve been through it and if I had a kid that came in and they were nervous about their burns or scarring, I just want to be able to comfort them and show that their doctors, they’ve been through it. They know what they’re going through. They can help.” “So that, that’s kind of the way I look at it.” For Johnny, he knows that whatever path his son takes, it will be, well, super. “It’s not gonna be anything that I could have scripted,” he says. “That’s what I’ve learned. It’s like we threw away that manual about trying to raise kids, because what Amy was able to instill in them, and that script for life that God has written…it is far beyond what we can think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).” “I’m just excited to see how it plays out.” 10 OCTOBER 2025 | INTHEVUE.COM
