Danny Benson uttered the little man’s lament as he imagined his ideal size as a receiver.
“It would be nice to be 6 feet 5,” said Benson, the dangerous Maine South wideout who is actually one inch shorter than the 5-8 program listing.
But at 6-5, it’s likely Benson wouldn’t have the quickness and spontaneous moves that enabled him to turn a short pass into a 70-yard touchdown against Evanston.
There’s also the quick sideline pass he caught against Glenbrook South that he transformed into a thrilling 63-yard gain.
Against Maine East, he had instructions to make a fair catch on a punt. When the ball hit the ground, it was time to tear up the script.
“At first, I didn’t know what to do,” Benson said. “I fielded the ball, saw an opening to my left and then cut back. I did some freestyling — that’s my natural instinct — found a seam and took off.”
Exactly 52 yards later, Maine South had another six points.
Perhaps the best illustration of Benson’s escapability comes from his good friend, Hawks running back David Chao.
“We have this two-on-one drill where a couple of guys tackle the ballcarrier in a space about 5 yards wide,” Chao said. “Normally, no problem. One time, Danny caught the ball against me and (cornerback) Jon Cottrell — and both of us totally missed him. It was embarrassing.”
No wonder this creative breakaway threat with 4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash has caught 56 passes for 908 yards and eight touchdowns to go with that punt return TD.
Benson will be closely watched Friday night when No. 8 Maine South (6-1, 3-0) opposes New Trier (6-1, 3-0) in Northfield with the Central Suburban South title on the line.
“Being short really doesn’t bother me,” said Benson, who sparks a four-receiver attack that includes Joey Orlando, Jake Gatziolis and John Alviti as targets for quarterback Charlie Goro. “Opposing teams probably don’t think much of me going into games. Once I start freestyling, they realize I can play.
“I feel I have a lot of heart, and I never want to lose. Guess I would like to be taller so I could go to a big Division I school.”
Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth and North Dakota State have shown an interest in Benson, who has gone from 135 pounds as a junior to his current weight of 162.
He has always been difficult to catch, ever since he began imitating his idol — ex-Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders — during recess in 3rd grade.
“When he catches the ball, he is so quick that he can juke anybody out,” said Chao, a friend since 4th grade. “And he has no fear. He comes across the middle and opponents underestimate him because he’s so small.
“Off the field, he is one of the friendliest guys you’ll ever meet. Everyone in school likes him. You’ll never see him without a smile on his face.”
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bsakamoto@tribune.com
