Ben Longshaw - Media Day

[WinstonKodogo]

What position do you see yourself being drafted at?

[.Broken]

1. Was OL your first choice for position, and why?
2. Was football always your first choice for a sport?
3. Did College make/break your football dreams or did that happen before?
4. Team you'd rather play for, versus least favorite team, why?
5. Will you be more likely to sign long-term quick or no?

[dropbear]

1.  You say the QB is your best friend, do you have a relationship with any of them yet?

2.  You choose Joe Staley as your render, who has been the model of steady, and loyalty.  Will you model your player on those as well?

3. What are your personal goals for your rookie season?

4. Typically in leagues like these/and in the NFL O linemen are overlooked for their contributions.  How would you like to see O Linemen rewarded in a unique way?

5. Where do you think linemen go in the draft? (which round)

1 - I haven't had a chance to spend time with any of the guys other than those who were on Team 2 with me, and even then it was brief. I got along with everyone, though. I've got a lot of respect for Devitt - he had a rough game and just kept getting up and trying to put the pieces back together. I'll happily bust my ass for a QB like that. From an outside perspective, I loved the way Christ played. I work well in a team where we throw first and we've got an accurate QB who can march us downfield. We don't necessarily need a guy who throws bombs, because we can just complete those short passes and me and the guys on the line can stonewall the defense. I love playing that sort of football that frustrates the guys on D and drains their energy. I think I'd fit nicely with Christ.

2 - Absolutely. In my opinion, continuity is more important on the offensive line than anywhere else in football, probably on par with coaching. Wherever I get drafted, that's gonna be my team. Full stop. Every team needs an anchor, and that's the guy I'll be. Put an undrafted rookie who can't throw straight in at QB behind me and I'll fight as hard for him as I will for a guy coming off an MVP season. That's what you need on the O-line, guys who'll fight no matter what.

3 - To develop the core of a team that will compete for years to come and establish myself as the top pass-blocker in the league. This first year is gonna be a crap shoot, and like people are saying, it's essentially a rebuild for every team. I want to lay the foundation now for a team that will compete for a decade or more. And that all starts on the offensive line, and I want to be that cornerstone guy who you know you can count on to be there 10 years down the track, so you can sign, draft or develop elsewhere.

4 - For me personally, my reward comes vicariously through the rewards of my teammates. If I'm playing well, and the guys next to me are playing well, typically that means the whole team ends up playing well. And recognition or not, that's a hell of a lot of fun to be a part of. That's all that matters to me. I don't saying winning is number 1, because winning is a byproduct of that sort of culture that we build.

5 - I think at least half of us will go in the first. It's an extremely deep defensive class, we saw that in the Bowl game, and there's a bunch of QB's, too. I just think that after the GM's watched 11 sacks in that game, they're gonna be eager to get their guy on the line before someone else.

[dropbear]

What position do you see yourself being drafted at?

Being totally honest with you, I can see a few other OL guys going before me after that Bowl game. There were some damn good performances out there today and that's gonna be fresh in the minds of the GM's. I'm happy with how I played, and I still stand by my belief that more than half of the OL prospects will go early and that I'll be one of them, but I'm not expecting to be the first pick overall.

As I said to another interviewer, wherever I'm ranked on the team's draft boards now, whether or not I'm considered the top OL prospect, that won't affect my career. I'm gonna outwork every other guy in the league, and even if I'm Mr Irrelevant, I'm gonna end up the top guy from this draft.

[dropbear]

1. Was OL your first choice for position, and why?
2. Was football always your first choice for a sport?
3. Did College make/break your football dreams or did that happen before?
4. Team you'd rather play for, versus least favorite team, why?
5. Will you be more likely to sign long-term quick or no?

1 - Absolutely. To me, the offensive line is where football is still football, as it was as far back as when it was first played. We're the guys who don't hear our names unless something's going wrong, and I know that's exactly how I like it - and how every guy I've ever lined up next to has liked it. We get to play football and not worry about the rest of the stuff that goes on.

2 - I love any sport that I play. I've played soccer, tennis, basketball, baseball... you name it! I've even been a swimmer. That said, I was always the #1 guy in football, whereas I was just having fun in whatever else I played. So it was natural for me to go down this path. But, I've loved every sport I've played equally. As long as I'm out there and active and part of a team or working with people with a common goal, I'm a happy man!

3 - I was top-rated guy coming out of high school, and in essence I had the pick of the bunch when it came to college. But as you'll see reported in the leaked OL scouting report from the SaberCats, they rightly identified that I chose to stay local to Illinois and play for the Huskies. That probably hurt my draft stock a little bit, but I don't regret it one bit.

4 & 5- I'll bust my ass for whoever picks me, and whoever picks me is gonna have a guy that's ready to commit long term as soon as I've proven myself and get the offer from the team. As I said to another interview, I want to be the cornerstone of the franchise and make them feel comfortable developing players elsewhere in our team and not worrying about signing or drafting more OL guys. I want to be the foundation that a multiple championship-winning team is built upon, even if we don't win it all straight away. And if we never win it, I'll be fine with that too so long as the guys around me have lived and breathed that same team culture and have busted their ass trying to win it all.

[Official DT]

1. What is special about Ben Longshaw?
2. Do you think you can handle the edge rushers in this draft?
3. Where do you predict you will be picked?

[Ghostspeed]

Ben , big fan 1st time caller.
1.If you were a pro wrestler what would be your name & gimmick?

2.Favorite beverage of choice for relaxing by the pool?

3.a man your size has to have a full size truck..your first truck was a ....?

[dropbear]

1. What is special about Ben Longshaw?
2. Do you think you can handle the edge rushers in this draft?
3. Where do you predict you will be picked?

1 - I'm a true team-first guy, and I have the history to back it up. I've played my entire football career locally, turning down offers from some of the biggest football programs in the country to bring some success to the teams that mean something to me. I'll bring that loyalty to the NSFL. This is a clean slate - whoever drafts me is drafting a guy who's gonna retire in that same jersey.

2 - Absolutely. I live for protecting the guys behind me, and because I'm thinking more about protecting them and helping their performance than specifically about my own play, I play better than the guys who just want to have "a good game". You know when you get that adrenaline rush when someone you care about is in trouble, and you feel like a super hero? That's me every time the ball is snapped, and it sets me apart from the guys just looking to make bank or become a superstar.

3 - I've heard rumors that teams are interested in me early, and I've seen the leaked scouting report from the SaberCats who say that the QB needs me there. But I tend not to put too much stock into those kinda things. I'm confident in myself and in my tape regardless, and I feel like I'm gonna go in the first round.

[timeconsumer]

Sorry Mr. Longshaw, one more question (okay maybe a 3 part question)

How does it feel to have your first sack allowed since high school in last night's All American game?
How did you handle that mentally for the rest of the game?
Dave Cinderblock for the Daily Blocker wrote, and I quote "Ben Longshaw was a fluke in college, a product of the system and lack of high level competition. He doesn't have what it takes to succeed at the NSFL level." How do you respond to this?

[Shaka]

I just asked 95 questions across 9 press conferences in order to ask the 100 questions necessary to make that $10M bonus. I saved the last five for you Benjamin....


Number one. Did you give yourself your own "Brick Wall" nickname? Honestly though?


I'm just going to assume you did. Number two. Why "Brick Wall?"


Ok. So number three... you think you're the guy to beat on the offensive line in this league, right?


Alright. Four. What if I told you I just smashed my point tasks for the week JUST to beat you specifically?


Last question...


You're the best offensive lineman in the league. I'm the best defensive lineman in the league. Would you say it's smart to draft BOTH of us on the same team? Cause I think it would be and all shit talking aside, the only thing better than working to beat you ever chance I get on sunday would be working to beat you ever chance I get every practice.

:cigar: :cheers: