Sam Bennion

Arizona

Nov 1 (Sat)

5:00 p.m.

Position:
Outside Linebacker
Height:
6-5
Weight:
235
Class:
Redshirt Freshman
Hometown:
North Logan, Utah
High School:
Logan

AT COLORADO: 2016 (Fr.)—He enrolled at CU for the spring semester after completing his Mormon mission ... Received the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year award at the season-ending team banquet … Did not see game action, but did dress for one game (Utah).

2014-15—He served his two-year Mormon mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; he left for Chile on Jan. 29, 2014 ... He actually signed his letter-of-intent in Mexico City, where he had begun the in the process of taking six weeks of language classes before heading to Concepcion, Chile, where he spent the two years serving his mission ... He did a variety of things to fulfill his mission requirements, including humanitarian services, counseling and helping to build homes and other projects.

HIGH SCHOOL—He earned second-team All-State honors from the Salt Lake Tribune as a senior (honorable mention by the Deseret News for a second straight year) ... Garnered first-team All-Region and All-Valley honors as a junior and senior; during his final prep season, he racked up 63 tackles (39 solo), with 12 for losses and nine-and-a-half quarterback sacks … Also had six quarterback hurries, two passes broken up and two forced fumbles ... Was in on 52 tackles (34 solo) his junior year, with 14 tackles for loss that included 10 sacks; he added five pressures and two PBU’s … Had eight tackles in four different games as a senior, including in a 22-17 win over Bountiful when seven of the stops were of the solo variety (with one a quarterback sack) … Had five games in his career with two or more sacks (with a high of three in a 17-10 loss to Mountain Crest his junior year, when he also had nine tackles) ... Posted a career-high 11 tackles (nine solo, with two-and-a-half sacks) in a 28-10 win over Box Elder, also as a junior ... A three-year starter on defense, on occasion, he’d play some spot offensive tackle throughout his career ... Under coach Mike Favero, Logan was 11-1 his senior year, reaching the state quarterfinals after claiming the 4A Region 5 regular season title; LHS was 8-3 his junior season and 14-0 (4A state champs) his sophomore year ... He also participated in track as a junior.

ACADEMICS—He is majoring in Integrative Physiology at Colorado ... He graduated from high school in January 2014, owning a 3.95 overall grade point average and was recruited by several Ivy League schools.

PERSONAL—He was born Oct. 5, 1995 in Logan, Utah ... Hobbies include reading, weightlifting, hiking, backpacking, four-wheeling and traveling: he had already visited over 20 countries before his 18th birthday, several of those throughout Europe and the Middle East (including Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt and Jordan) ... An Eagle Scout, he is also an exceptional marksman (target shooting with a 9mm Beretta) ... Hails from the same high school that produced arguably Utah’s most famous athlete if not overall personality, Merlin Olsen (football at Utah State and for the NFL Los Angeles Rams, and later on an actor on Little House on the Prairie and Father Murphy). (Last name is pronounced Ben-yun.)