Potoa’e Out To Cause Havoc
September 12, 2019 | Football
By Jillian Anderson
Through a cloud of purple smoke, in a stadium filled with 70,000 screaming fans, runs a pack of Dawgs into an arena where sirens blare. Electricity fills the air throughout the greatest setting in college football. There is a certain sense of adrenaline that runs through every player as they make the 70-yard trot, through a tunnel of cheerleaders, onto the sideline; along with a feeling of power, excitement, and thrill that no athlete could ever get used to. Not even a fifth-senior like Benning Potoa'e.
This year, in a scene that makes the 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive lineman feel small, there is an added emotion of mawkishness. For Potoa'e, days like this are numbered, and his extended career as a Division-I college athlete is nearing its end.
Through his time in the program, Potoa'e has been able to develop as a player on the field, but also as a young man away from it. He has learned valuable lessons through his teammates and coaches that he will carry with him and use throughout the rest of his life.
"Being a part of this team showed me that two is definitely better than one. Having a good support system is what really matters," Potoa'e shared in a time of reflection on the past five years. "The culture that coach Chris Petersen teaches us on this team helps me see through a different lens."
Along with having grown into an intense lineman that goes head-to-head in rigorous battles against some of the most powerful men in college football, Potoa'e has also grown into an intelligent and insightful young man. Though a lot of his character was built on the football field over the past four years, his mind has grown just as much in the classroom. Potoa'e has already graduated from the University with a degree in American Ethnic Studies. This major has allowed Potoa'e to connect further with his own culture as well as be immersed in others.
Potoa'e knows what is truly important in life after finding some perspective half way across the world. Last year Potoa'e had the opportunity to travel to Tahiti in a study abroad program through his major. Along with four teammates, and eight other UW students, Potoa'e had the chance to experience a new culture and gain a deeper appreciation for life.
"You learn a lot about your character and how you carry yourself when you experience something like that," he said. "The people over there were so welcoming, caring, loving and engaging. It made me have second thoughts about coming back to America."
When he did return from the trip, Potoa'e was able to realize the full potential of the clearer lens that Coach Petersen had been providing for him. With a chance to take a step back and see the bigger picture, he cultivated deeper relationships with his teammates, and allowed himself to become immersed in the unity of the team.
After talking further about the people he met on the island, and about what this team has taught him, Potoa'e realized, "there is nothing wrong with having loving people in your life, and being able to count on those people.
"I can honestly say that the trip was in the top-three best times of my life," he continued. "It was unbelievable and life changing."
Potoa'e has been more apt to connect with the people around him since he returned from Tahiti. This has been especially evident in the way that he has taken up a leadership position on the team. As one of the oldest members on the squad, it is important for Potoa'e to connect with the younger players and leave them with some of the lessons that he has learned throughout his time in college.
"I have really wanted to help them get through the trials and tribulations that come with this process."
As a player who has faced and overcome five years' worth of the inevitable ups and downs of being a student-athlete, he is more than willing to share his experiences with the future of the program.
"When you talk to somebody and they can relate, it is a weight off both of your shoulders," he said.
As well as connecting with his teammates and being a part of the Coach Petersen culture, Potoa'e has also never lost sight of his love for football. These elements have combined to leave Potoa'e wanting more, even after five years in the program.
Although it will be a sad farewell, Potoa'e is looking forward to senior night in a few short months. His entire family will get the chance to celebrate alongside him, including his older brother. Sione Potoa'e is a former UW defensive lineman, who played a pivotal role in Potoa'e's career.
"He really helped me find football," Benning said of Sione. "Seeing him excel at a very high level made me feel like I had big shoes to fill, I felt the need to do the same thing and perform at the same level.
"Seeing him go through it first allowed me to see some of the hard parts and navigate them easier myself."
Potoa'e is very appreciative to have had a brother set the path for him, and he was happy to follow in his footsteps. Admitting that at times it was a lot of weight to carry, it was one of things that motivated him the most throughout his career.
With a full season still ahead of him, Potoa'e will continue to use this motivation to accomplish his remaining goals for his time on the field. Aside from specific statistics and numbers, Potoa'e just wants to be dominant. Switching positions from outside linebacker to inside he is looking to satisfy his football motto: Cause havoc.
"I want to be nasty this year," he said. "It is my last year, it would be wrong if I didn't."
Through a cloud of purple smoke, in a stadium filled with 70,000 screaming fans, runs a pack of Dawgs into an arena where sirens blare. Electricity fills the air throughout the greatest setting in college football. There is a certain sense of adrenaline that runs through every player as they make the 70-yard trot, through a tunnel of cheerleaders, onto the sideline; along with a feeling of power, excitement, and thrill that no athlete could ever get used to. Not even a fifth-senior like Benning Potoa'e.
This year, in a scene that makes the 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive lineman feel small, there is an added emotion of mawkishness. For Potoa'e, days like this are numbered, and his extended career as a Division-I college athlete is nearing its end.
Through his time in the program, Potoa'e has been able to develop as a player on the field, but also as a young man away from it. He has learned valuable lessons through his teammates and coaches that he will carry with him and use throughout the rest of his life.
"Being a part of this team showed me that two is definitely better than one. Having a good support system is what really matters," Potoa'e shared in a time of reflection on the past five years. "The culture that coach Chris Petersen teaches us on this team helps me see through a different lens."
Along with having grown into an intense lineman that goes head-to-head in rigorous battles against some of the most powerful men in college football, Potoa'e has also grown into an intelligent and insightful young man. Though a lot of his character was built on the football field over the past four years, his mind has grown just as much in the classroom. Potoa'e has already graduated from the University with a degree in American Ethnic Studies. This major has allowed Potoa'e to connect further with his own culture as well as be immersed in others.
Potoa'e knows what is truly important in life after finding some perspective half way across the world. Last year Potoa'e had the opportunity to travel to Tahiti in a study abroad program through his major. Along with four teammates, and eight other UW students, Potoa'e had the chance to experience a new culture and gain a deeper appreciation for life.
"You learn a lot about your character and how you carry yourself when you experience something like that," he said. "The people over there were so welcoming, caring, loving and engaging. It made me have second thoughts about coming back to America."
When he did return from the trip, Potoa'e was able to realize the full potential of the clearer lens that Coach Petersen had been providing for him. With a chance to take a step back and see the bigger picture, he cultivated deeper relationships with his teammates, and allowed himself to become immersed in the unity of the team.
After talking further about the people he met on the island, and about what this team has taught him, Potoa'e realized, "there is nothing wrong with having loving people in your life, and being able to count on those people.
"I can honestly say that the trip was in the top-three best times of my life," he continued. "It was unbelievable and life changing."
Potoa'e has been more apt to connect with the people around him since he returned from Tahiti. This has been especially evident in the way that he has taken up a leadership position on the team. As one of the oldest members on the squad, it is important for Potoa'e to connect with the younger players and leave them with some of the lessons that he has learned throughout his time in college.
"I have really wanted to help them get through the trials and tribulations that come with this process."
As a player who has faced and overcome five years' worth of the inevitable ups and downs of being a student-athlete, he is more than willing to share his experiences with the future of the program.
"When you talk to somebody and they can relate, it is a weight off both of your shoulders," he said.
As well as connecting with his teammates and being a part of the Coach Petersen culture, Potoa'e has also never lost sight of his love for football. These elements have combined to leave Potoa'e wanting more, even after five years in the program.
Although it will be a sad farewell, Potoa'e is looking forward to senior night in a few short months. His entire family will get the chance to celebrate alongside him, including his older brother. Sione Potoa'e is a former UW defensive lineman, who played a pivotal role in Potoa'e's career.
"He really helped me find football," Benning said of Sione. "Seeing him excel at a very high level made me feel like I had big shoes to fill, I felt the need to do the same thing and perform at the same level.
"Seeing him go through it first allowed me to see some of the hard parts and navigate them easier myself."
Potoa'e is very appreciative to have had a brother set the path for him, and he was happy to follow in his footsteps. Admitting that at times it was a lot of weight to carry, it was one of things that motivated him the most throughout his career.
With a full season still ahead of him, Potoa'e will continue to use this motivation to accomplish his remaining goals for his time on the field. Aside from specific statistics and numbers, Potoa'e just wants to be dominant. Switching positions from outside linebacker to inside he is looking to satisfy his football motto: Cause havoc.
"I want to be nasty this year," he said. "It is my last year, it would be wrong if I didn't."
Players Mentioned
DL
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