In the fall of 2021, 5th Grader Asher Benson showed up to his first tackle practice in a program then Directed by Darren Petersen. Petersen knew on the first day just how special a player Asher was. Little did he know how instrumental Benson would be to all his programs just 3 years later. “Asher was a quiet kid with a lot of skill & noticeable athletic ability,” Darren said.
Asher has shown how much he loves football over these last 3 years with his dedication to participate in everything the program offered. According to Director Petersen, Asher has played & participated on 3 championship flag teams with the NFL FLAG Raiders, and the Vikings. He attended “The CAMP” which we help put on with Nebraska Football players, as well as our Beau Rusk workouts. Asher also volunteered his time to help set up and tear down our sold out cornhole tournament, 2 years in a row. He played 3 seasons in our tackle program. In 2023 he was the team captain for an undefeated team that ended up losing in the Semi Final. He is going into his 3rd season with our 7v7 program, NEBRASKA SELECT 7EVEN and has been in 8 tournament championships.
He now plays tackle for the 8th Grade PAPIO South Titans. When asking Asher how 7v7 helps prepare him for tackle he stated “Offseason training has really boosted my speed, and catching. A lot of receivers slow down if they can’t train in the winter, but because of 7v7 I feel ready to hit the tackle season strong.” He likes the 7v7 game because it is fast paced, and scoring in the endzone is a different experience since celebrations don’t get flagged like they do in tackle. He also says, “it’s a lot of fun to challenge myself against other top players across the Midwest.” Going into 2025 he says, “My goals for freshman season are to get faster and more agile. I also want to improve my game knowledge, like reading coverages, and adjusting routes. I would like to sharpen my footwork and releases. That’s why I am so excited to work with the NE SELECT coaches, and other players in the program. I also look forward to the cool venues NE SELECT plays at, like UNI dome, and the Memorial Stadium.”
For Asher, January 5th cannot get here soon enough, for that’s the first day of 7v7 indoor practice.