Behind the Scenes of Joseph Benavides-Gutierrez

SEATTLE- Everyone knows senior linebacker Joseph Benavides-Gutierrez Jr. for being a good student, funny, and lighthearted guy, but no one sees the reasons why he lives what he preaches.

For Benavides- Gutierrez it's the people and the normal things he does day in and day out that helped mold him into the person he is today.

Benavides- Gutierrez is a leader on the team and looked to to model the work ethic and mindset that has been instrumental in the team's success. He knows the norms of being a winner (2x state champ in football) and recently provided insight from the team's mentality in past years.

"We can't have anyone slacking off, it needs to be 11 hats to the ball at all times" Benavides- Gutierrez stated.

He expressed that the team culture outweighs all other aspects of the game and having everyone thinking like-mindedly on the field at the same time gives them the greatest opportunity to come out victorious.

When it comes to preparing for gameday Benavides- Gutierrez makes sure the team culture is kept at a very even pace, no matter who they are playing next.

"We always see it as a faceless opponent, were always going to have the same energy and mental preparation... If someone messes up, we will always call them out." Benavides- Gutierrez emphasized.

Preparation never wavers and is consistent throughout the season no matter the opponent. That is also something each individual (including Benavides- Gutierrez) takes with them throughout their own lives.

This mindset helps each and every one of them stay focused, work together, and have the same discipline on the field and also in their personal lives. effort into school, relationships, and everything else they do outside of the gridiron.

This success on the football field isn't new. It has been built into him from a young age.

"I started playing football when I was six years old and my dad coached me until I was ten" Benavides- Gutierrez stated.

Like his father, he had a very deep passion for the sport but started to grow out of it as time went on.

That was until Benavides-Gutierrez laid his eyes on the players standing beside head coach of The O'Dea Fighting Irish, Monte Kohler.

Benavides-Gutierrez's spark for the game reemerged "when I saw the varsity guys playing"" on the field for the marron & gold for the first time.

Getting the love for the game back was crucial for Benavides- Gutierrez, but he credits one person that kept him afloat through the highs and lows of life, and it wasn't all about football.

"My dad, he always pushed me to be a better person than I already was."

This made Benavides- Gutierrez strive for greatness even though he didn't feel like it. The most impactful lesson he's learned isn't from the wins, but instead from when he failed.

He felt just as good as if he would have succeeded because of what his dad instilled in him.

"It matters more how you respond to failure than actually failing." This saying from his dad showed Benavides- Gutierrez that success isn't a given and failure was and always will be a part of life, but it can be used to make a person better.

When this sunk in is when Benavides- Gutierrez perspective on the subject completely flipped, making him a greater player, but moreso a better person overall.

Benavides- Gutierrez has had times of struggle, pain, and obstacles along the way, but he still is continuing to strive, each and every day, towards excellence through the classroom, the football field, and all other aspects of life with the great support he has behind him. And with the lessons he's learned on and off the field and the support he has from his family, the odds are that Benavides- Gutierrez's success this year on the football field is only the beginning.