Ben DeLuca – Safety – Charlotte
Ed Hunt: What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?
Ben DeLuca: I’m 6’1 and about 210-212 pounds. I’ve been training for the 40. It’s for me to know and you guys to find out, but I’m happy where I’m at.
Ed Hunt: What does it mean to you to get invited to the Shrine game and NFLPA Bowl?
Ben DeLuca: It was honestly humbling. To join that fraternity and then that burden you carry that you do the same thing at that game.
Ed Hunt: Tell me about getting invited to the Hula Bowl.
Ben DeLuca: I got a call from an 808 number. The other ones aren’t letting you play a game. To get to play against the best and to get in front of scouts. Excited!
Ed Hunt: Where are you currently training for the draft?
Ben DeLuca:XPE in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Ed Hunt: Besides football, what other sports did you play in high school?
Ben DeLuca: I did a little bit of weightlifting and track just to prepare me for the following season. Football is kind of a year-round thing in Florida. Those were the ones that I played.
Ed Hunt: What positions did you play in high school?
Ben DeLuca: I played receiver, corner and safety.
Ed Hunt: Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?
Ben DeLuca: I was actually underrecruited. Coastal Carolina was the first D1 opportunity and then Charlotte and then FAU. I went with a chip on my shoulder being from a hot bed of football and wanted to prove to myself that I did.
Ed Hunt: How would you sum up your career at Charlotte?
Ben DeLuca: That’s a tough one. Having won the state championship in high school and I wasn’t used to losing. At Charlotte, we won five games in my first two years and it challenged me to not cut corners in the process. It taught me to control what I can control. It helped me focus on the process. Being at Charlotte has taught me how to prepare my body. To compete and learn with them has helped me grow.
Ed Hunt: What can you tell me about Alex Highsmith?
Ben DeLuca: Me and “Schmitty” are really close. Both of us are brothers in Christ. Early on, it was us being compatible as people apart from what happened on the field. Schmitty was able to transform who he was from being a special team’s player to a starter.
Ed Hunt: What are your strengths?
Ben DeLuca: My leadership. That commanding role. For me, it’s always competing. I love to compete naturally. I love the sense of competition. It has to come from love. A lot of those things come from my love of football and I love the relationships themselves. All are called; few are chosen. There isn’t a lottery. You don’t have to be a genetic freak to do things.
Ed Hunt: What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?
Ben DeLuca: I think it’s getting my hands on more interceptions. As a competitor, the turnover is one of the more exciting things and little nuances of the game. Just little things like reads off the quarterbacks. That the difference between college and the NFL are the quarterbacks.
Ed Hunt: What is the highlight of your career up to this point?
Ben DeLuca: I think being a part of history. Being able to go to Charlotte. To be a part of that Conference USA win at home. Just being able to do a lot of things that people have not been able to do before. Being able to create something. Being able to create something at Charlotte. It’s cool to be a part of that. It would also be being a Freshman All-American. It was great to have accolade like that. I want to be an All-American again. To be a part of Pro Football Focus’ All-Americans, it was a unique moment.
Ed Hunt: What is your favorite NFL team?
Ben DeLuca: I don’t really have a favorite NFL team. I just like to watch certain players. I’m not big into having a favorite team.
Ed Hunt: Is there an NFL safety that you like to watch on film?
Ben DeLuca: I really enjoy watching Jamal Adams and I really like Budda Baker. I like watching Harrison Smith from the Vikings. Three guys whose games are different. I take things from each of those guys and add tools to my toolbox.
Ed Hunt: What underclassmen on your team should we keep an eye out for next season?
Ben DeLuca: I’ll give you two of them. Victor Tucker. His game, it’s really intentional. D’Mitri Emmanuel. I think he is in position to take his game to the next level. He will do a lot.
Ed Hunt: Which quarterback was your toughest matchup throughout your career?
Ben DeLuca: I don’t know if one sticks out to me. My freshman year playing against Nick Mullens is one. Jarett Guarantano from Tennessee was good and the QB from Appalachian State.
Ed Hunt: What is the most important trait for a safety?
Ben DeLuca: These two go into one. You got to naturally have the mind and the instincts. Throughout the week, I am watching film. I’ve prepared so much during the week; I can jump the play and naturally have the instincts when you get into the flow of the game.
Ed Hunt: What do you enjoy most about football?
Ben DeLuca: I think two things. Competition. On any given play, you can be embarrassed or be wildly successful. Whether it would be matchups or the whole team. I think that ability to compete. The unknown of every play. Also, the mental approach. Just watching film and seeing the tendencies that stick on gameday. That is really fun to me. It’s a gamble, it’s a risk. The mental game is just as fun as the physical.
Ed Hunt: How has this journey of perseverance made you stronger?
Ben DeLuca: The ability to persevere transcends the game of football. Whether it’s perseverance of losses or injury. Football is about preparing you for life after. To persevere through things, we don’t feel like doing and that is the coolest thing about it.
Ed Hunt: What are your hobbies?
Ben DeLuca: I don’t have a ton of hobbies. I really enjoy fishing. I like to read and am reading Bruce Lee’s book. I meditate so challenging myself to consistently be present. Fellowship and I really enjoy cooking. That was something I had to do for my body but then I learned to enjoy it.
Ed Hunt: What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?
Ben DeLuca: I feel like my purpose in life is to know God and elevate his kingdom. I would like sports broadcasting and to elevate a nonprofit. Jesus is where love is.
Ed Hunt: What makes you unique?
Ben DeLuca: I think what makes me unique is that since I was young, I prided myself on being unique. As a society we go with the flow. I like to go back to Kobe Bryant. I played as if every time, he was the 12th man on the roster. Just to be myself and that’s what makes me unique.
Ed Hunt: What five words best describe you?
Ben DeLuca: Purpose, driven, determined, process, and humility.
Ed Hunt: Who will win the Super Bowl and why?
Ben DeLuca: I don’t think the Bucs will pull it off. I think everything runs through Kansas City. Their secondary is going to be the challenge for them. If they can establish the pass rush, they will win. I got to go with Kansas City. My dark horse would be Tampa Bay.
