2024 PFN Player Profile: Getting to know Brockway Area lineman Ben Yale

Tagged under: District 9, News, Player Previews

Billy Splain | July 29, 2024

Ben Yale
OL/DL
Brockway Area HS
Class Of 2026
Jersey #57
HT/WT 6 ft 270 lbs
60 tackles and 6.5 sacks last season
Other sports Baseball and basketball
Tri-county first team DL, all conference first team DL
Twitter @BenjaminYale2

Coach says: “Ben is an old school Oline/Dline player who has exceptional weight room strength and power”.

LET’S GET TO KNOW BEN

Why do you play football?

It is an amazing game. It takes dedication, toughness, and a willingness to work. All these can be applied through life. So I play football because it is a fun game to play and I enjoy it, and also because of all of the lessons you can learn that will benefit you throughout life.

Who is your favorite sports star and WHY?

Aaron Donald. He is a 6’1 270 lb undersized defensive lineman. He is arguably one of the best at his position ever. I am around the same size as him now, so seeing what he has done makes me feel like if I work hard enough and don’t stop I can get to were he got one day.

Do you have a favorite play you remember the most? Explain:

My first ever tackle in a high school game. It was week 2 of my freshman season two years ago. We were playing DuBois at DuBois, I beat the kid off the ball, and and made the play in the backfield

What was last years season like for you?

It started off slow as I was just cleared from knee surgery a few weeks before the first game. Through the early part of the season I was mostly just trying to get my knee’s strength built back up. After my knee got back under me, it picked up and things went good the rest of the season.

What are your goals for this coming season?

To win a D9 championship

Who is the best player you ever lined up against?

Probably Port Allegheny’s Carson Neely

What game, yours, college or pro, was your favorite game you watched and why?

My first ever start in highschool. We played Coudy at Coudy, it was my first ever start and I ended up with 10 tackles on the game.

What would you do to improve the recruiting process?

A website with every schools coaching staff’s contact information would make things much easier. It would help you get in touch with coaches without digging through Twitter.

Describe what the perfect teammate is

A guy who will put anything on the line for his team. A hard worker in practice who also pushes everyone around him to do better, and someone who is always going to compete of Friday nights.

Tell everyone why you think football is good for a community

On Friday nights the whole town of Brockway packs into our bleachers to watch us play. It brings the whole town together.

Name one thing that you’d love to do in football that may never happen?

Play receiver/tight-end

Who is your mentor, the person you want to be like? WHY?

My dad. He is a hard worker, and a great father. He pushes me to be my best every day. He works with me on things I need to work on, he sits down and breaks down film with me, and he is always sitting in the bleachers on Friday nights. I want to be the kind of man and father that he is.

What is your favorite practice drill? What is your least favorite practice drill?

My favorite had to be Oklahoma drills. Just a fun drill, full of contact. I honestly can’t think of my least favorite drill, unless you count conditioning as a drill.

Preseason Two a Days are: 

Not bad, the practices aren’t too bad, and the camp that we do at Brockway where we live in the school for the week is fun.

Is there anyone in your family, besides your parents, you could consider your biggest fan? Who, Why?

My grandpa, Papa Tom. He goes to every game me and my brother play in. It doesn’t matter what sport, baseball, basketball, or football. He is there watching.

When you aren’t playing, practicing or training for sports, what is your go to activity and why?

Either playing some sort of video game, or doing something outside with my younger brother. I usually will play video games after practices or lifts when my body doesn’t have enough energy to go run around. However, when I am not tired, I usually end up doing something with my brother, whether it’s playing catch with a football, or making a game.

What is your favorite play to run?

Any play that includes me trap blocking someone. I love running full speed and drilling somebody.

is a hot dog a sandwich? If not, then why? 

A hotdog is a variant of a sandwich, I’d say it is more of a sub. The bread is the same way, just replace everything in it with a hot dog. So basically a hot dog is a sandwich.

Music of choice:

I listen to a lot of different music, and out of all of them I don’t think I could just narrow it down to one.

Best thing you ever got from a teammate? Why?

I’d say all the encouragement, and pick-me-ups from guys. It helps me to do better for myself and for the team.

Best Pizza topping? 

Hot take, but my go-to is mushroom pizza.

What is your favorite vacation destination?

Sunset Beach, NC.

Do you remember what the first football game you saw was?

I went to a Steelers vs. Seahawks preseason game. My dad took me and my brother, who is a Seahawks fan. It ended up going into overtime with the Steelers winning.

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