247 Sports reported on Friday that Virginia Tech offensive lineman Brent Benedict was hospitalized with blood clots with the blood clots then spreading to his heart and lungs. The site also reported that he would miss the 2014 season which means that his career would be over unless he appealed for a medical hardship. According to a Virginia Tech spokesman, Benedict was not hospitalized and a decision has not been made on 2014 as of this time but did admit that he had an ankle injury this spring which led to blood clots in his leg.
Coming out of Bolles High School in 2009, Benedict was a can’t miss prospect ranking as a four-star recruit and as the 10th best player at his position (offensive tackle) in the Nation. Benedict injured his knee severely as a senior in high school. After a two year rehabilitation Benedict seemed ready to finally hit the field for the Georgia Bulldogs, the school that originally signed him and honored his scholarship despite his injury, but there was a differing of opinion between Benedict and Georgia’s strength and conditioning coach Joe Tereshinski (on training methods) and Benedict transferred to Virginia Tech.
At Virginia Tech, Benedict started 12 games over two years and played in 24 and according to Gobbler Country had been battling some back problems in 2013 and in 2014 had slid down the depth chart. HokieSports.com has him currently listed as third on the depth chart as of April 15th.
Whether or not Benedict can suit up for the 2014 season, the story of Brent Benedict is a cautionary one for upcoming recruits. Being a highly touted recruit doesn’t guarantee success. There are many things that can derail a recruit along the way, in Benedict’s case it’s been a multitude of injuries. According to collegesportsscholarships.com, only 5.7% of high school football players play NCAA football and only 1.8% of those make their way to the pros. Overall, only 0.08% of high school football players will make it to the NFL.
