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Name: Ben Honis
Position: Linebacker
Year: Redshirt senior
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 215 lbs.
Hometown: Jamesville, N.Y.
High School: Jamesville-Dewitt
2018 stats: Finished eighth at 197 pounds and was an All-American during the 2019 NCAA Division I wrestling championships. Football stats were non existent.
2019 projections: Honis will likely be a squad player for the Orange. With a four year gap in playing football, it’s unlikely he contributes on defense. His athleticism and experience in college athletics may get him some looks on special teams though.
How’d he get here?: He’s a hometown athlete with a year of eligibilty left. Honis enrolled in Maxwell for grad school and walked on to the team after a very successful four year stint with the Cornell Big Red wrestling team, including All-American honors.
What’d recruiting sites say?: Unranked by any of the sites. #8 in the country at 197 though, so that’s a solid pickup.
Money quote: And now he gets to change this mantra playing football.
“In wrestling it’s all about you. It’s all on you.”
Twitterfeed: @bhonis31
Tweets of wonder: Some highlights of our new LB’s prior career —
Senior Ben Honis will graduate as an All-American, a two-time NCAA qualifier and a fighter. He bettered his seed by placing eighth at 197 pounds and ends his Cornell career with the respect and admiration of his teammates. #YellCornell ( : Eldon Lindsay/Cornell Athletics) pic.twitter.com/rPg0pkcvLk
— Cornell Big Red (@CornellSports) March 23, 2019
What movie would Dino Babers recommend for him?: Gotta go with the absolutely apex of wrestling films, 1985’s Vision Quest. The story of a Spokane high schooler torn between winning a state title and getting the girl. Actually a quite solid film.
Interesting nugget o’ interest: Honis’s father Kurt was a four-year member and captain of the Syracuse Orange wrestling team back in 1983-1984.
Let’s get a good look at ya: Here’s an NCAA interview with him at Cornell —