Benny LeMay got star struck at the NFL Combine. Three Charlotte 49ers making history
It didn’t hit Benny LeMay until he walked in and saw Jalen Hurts. Then he understood the gravity of where he was.
Rookies often have their “welcome-to-the-NFL” moments. For LeMay, seeing Hurts was “welcome to the Combine.”
“When I first walked in, the first person I saw was Jalen Hurts,” LeMay said. “I was like, ‘Holy... , that’s Jalen.’ It’s pretty cool.”
The 49ers are coming off an impressive season under first-year coach Will Healy, who led them to their first winning record and bowl appearance in program history.
What they were able to show this past year is still paying off in other types of firsts, and this time it’s in Indianapolis with Hurts.
The 49ers have three players at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, the most in school history. The three representatives from Charlotte are also the most for any Conference USA school this year and tied for the most for among all North Carolina schools with Wake Forest.
Former Charlotte offensive lineman Cameron Clark, defensive end Alex Highsmith and LeMay will take part in on-field drills and interviews with a variety of teams. All three also played in the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier this year, which allows senior players to show what they can do in front of NFL scouts and against more diverse competition from around the country.
LeMay, who attended Butler High School in Matthews, especially had a breakout performance in the Shrine Bowl, earning offensive MVP honors. He finished his college career as the school’s all-time FBS rushing leader, putting together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons his junior and senior years. His 3,232 career rushing yards are the second-most overall in school history.
Having a big performance in the Shrine Bowl was important to show LeMay can compete against top competition. But the Combine will just be another opportunity to show he belongs on the professional level.
“I’m trying to show (teams) that I’m very versatile and I’ve got great hands and move pretty well,” LeMay said. “I also have a little bit of speed as well.”
Clark, a Greensboro native, is trying to do the same after a career of durability. He started all 12 games during his senior year, extending his streak of consecutive starts to 31 games. He set a school record with 49 games played during his four-year career. Clark and LeMay are roommates this week at the Combine.
Staying in the same city for his professional career is very appealing.
“I’d be blessed to play for any team, but being able to play in Carolina, being able to stay in Charlotte and put on for Charlotte in more than the four years that I had, it would mean the world to me,” Clark said. “Being that close to family, friends. ... I love the city of Charlotte, I want to live in the city of Charlotte for the rest of my life.”
Highsmith, who’s from Wilmington, is going through the Combine process a day behind his teammates — linebackers meet with the media Thursday. He also has records with the 49ers for the most sacks in a game (4.5), season (14.0) and career (20.0) during his senior year. The former walk-on was also the first player in school history to be recognized as an Associated Press All-American.
All three players have a chance to be drafted after surviving coaching changes and adjustments to new schemes.
LeMay even met with Panthers running back coach Jeff Nixon on Tuesday night at the Combine. Part of the process for him and his former teammates is just soaking in every moment they can.
“Every day,” LeMay said when asked if he ever dreamed he would get to this point. “I used to think about it all the time. It’s still surreal right now thinking about it, but I’m taking it in. Seeing the guys that are around right now is pretty cool knowing that I belong as well.”
This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 6:30 PM.
