Recruiting/Player Profile: Ben Stienessen/Byron (2020)

Today, Nate from Northstar Football News caught up with NFN prospect <strong>Ben Stienessen</strong> who plays for the Byron Bears just 10 minutes outside of Rochester. We asked Ben about the offers he's received in D-2, what his favorite parts of the positions he plays are, and what his Bear's team has on tap for the rest of the season. <strong>Ben Stienessen</strong> <strong>Position:</strong> Athlete <strong>High School Program:</strong> Byron <strong>Class</strong>: 2020, Senior <strong>Get to Know Ben Stienessen</strong> Stienessen plays three positions on defense; outside linebacker, safety, and some cornerback. On the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver is his main position. Ben loves to "stick his nose in on every play and "flys to the football whenever the ball has snapped. Offensively, Ben's strength is "making big plays when you need them" and getting the "tough yards" as well. His shiftiness is something that throws off his defenders whenever he has the ball on offense. <strong>Best Part About the Athlete Position</strong> If you are looking for a player to never leave the game, talk to Ben Stienessen as that is his favorite part about the ATH position. "I don't like watching from the sidelines when someone scores a touchdown," Ben told Northstar Football News. He loves keeping "the defense on their toes" when he moves around on offense, as they never know where he could end up. I asked Ben if he has a preference of position on offense or defense, he said he "loves scoring TDs and playing defense all around" <strong>College Interest</strong> Ben has three offers on the table currently from St. Cloud State, Bemidji State, and Minnesota-Duluth. When asked about his commitment future, he said "my options are open, won't be committing anytime soon" as he wants to keep his options open. <strong>Improvements from the Off-Season by Stienessen</strong> The biggest thing Ben has improved on is being a vocal and positive team leader. "As a sophomore, I would tend to get upset at certain things and not keep my cool" Ben told NFN. Working on that Ben said "has turned me to the best leader on the field I can be" when talking about his leadership for the Bears. <strong>Ben's Mentor</strong> Ben said his biggest mentor was his quarterback as a sophomore, <strong>Mike Coble. </strong>"He took me in as a brother and a teammate," Ben said about Coble, who Ben credits for pushing him to grind and become the player he is today. Coble was a three-sport athlete for the Bears in football, track, and basketball and currently plays wide receiver for the Minnesota State Mavericks. <strong>Goals for the Rest of the Season for Stienessen and the Bears</strong> Stienessen said his team goal is to make a deep run in the playoffs this year. "We moved up a class this year and are playing teams that are much bigger than us and have a larger student body," Stienessen told NFN. Stienessen wants his team to play the "underdog role" as they have battled hard thru tough opponents all year and are ready to get after it once the playoffs roll around next week. The Byron Bears (3-4), will have a tough test as they take on undefeated Winona (7-0) who is currently ranked 4th in the most recent 4A poll. Thanks to Ben Stienessen for the report!