Sean Kramer, Lindy’s Sports
Standing next to his makeshift locker at Centurylink Field, Benson Mayowa felt at home.
He was surrounded by media, suddenly the hot story on the Seattle Seahawks after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Idaho just months earlier.
Mayowa collected a sack and forced fumble in his pre-season finale against the Oakland Raiders on Aug. 29 in a game in which he played all of 15 defensive snaps, all while trying to prove to coaches he belonged on the Seahawks 53-man roster.
Mayowa couldn’t help but hide his smile talking with reporters.
He obviously knew something they didn’t, as it was just two days later that he was officially added to the 53-man regular-season roster for a Seahawks team known for its nasty D and an ability to identify unsung heroes and turn them into stars.
“I’ll take it as a good thing,” Mayowa said of his role in the final pre-season game, still cracking a smile.
A center of media attention these days, Mayowa has evolved from “that kid from Idaho” to a Seahawks fan favorite. Just look at his Twitter account, which has ballooned from around 600 followers during his Idaho days to just about 3,000.
It’s been quite a ride for Mayowa.
Before he could even hit the field in 2012 at Idaho his life was struck with tragedy when his mother died over the summer before his senior season. It hit home for Mayowa, and understandably didn’t put everything into football after that. His academics were affected, he didn’t get back into the speed of things at Idaho until weeks into the season when the Vandals season was already lost. On a soon-to-be independent football program that no conference wanted, Mayowa only had three sacks – Idaho finished 1-11.
Despite featuring the necessary size, speed and athleticism it takes to make it in the NFL, Mayowa went undrafted because of everything else surrounding his situation.
It’s all culminated itself on the football field wearing the Seattle Seahawks logo. For Mayowa it’s come down to dedication, playing with a chip on his shoulder and finding the right situation. Pete Carroll since his days at USC has thrived on guys with something to prove and that’s Mayowa.
All he needed was an opportunity and he’s proven Carroll made the right decision giving it to him to the tune of 3.5 sacks in four pre-season games.
“I’m surprised that’s all he played because he should have played more than that but (against the Raiders), he had a very good pre-season, he did a great job for us,” Carroll said. “I’ve said to you guys, he’s made a very good first impression right out of the shoot, he made plays, he had sacks in three different games, that’s a big deal.”
He’s not done yet, because opportunities will come. The Seahawks have questionable health on the defensive line and is dealing with the four game suspension of pass-rushing linebacker Bruce Irvin – both likely reasons Mayowa was able to nab a spot.
That, and his ability to get after the passer. Carroll lamented how difficult the last weekend of cuts was for him, his toughest in his four years in charge of personnel as Seattle Seahawks vice president and head coach. And Mayowa made the cut for a reason.
Used as a more versatile pass-rusher than at Idaho, Mayowa is lined up as a standing pass-rusher, or a “Leo.” His advantage doesn’t come from his get-off, but more his speed and athleticism once he gets going coming around the edge. This is as opposed to when he was at Idaho, when he mainly lined up with his hand on the ground and often ate up with double teams.
He’ll get enough of a test on Sunday when former Heisman trophy winner Cam Newton lines up in the shotgun for the Carolina Panthers. Mayowa’s discipline when it comes to containment and run defense are areas that Seahawks’ coaches are going to want to see from him in the early weeks facing Newton and Colin Kaepernick.
The challenge won’t faze Mayowa. He knows he belongs. And if he ever needs any motivation he just looks at his text messages, and a message he has from his former coach at Idaho, Robb Akey.
“He sends me a text and tells me ‘keep pushing bubba, keep pushing, keep doing your thing,’” Mayowa said. “He also knows that I belong here.”