Butler’s Benny LeMay focusing on being himself

Benny LeMay is used to playing with expectations.

From the time he started playing football in Little League, he has been compared to his older brothers, Christian (former Butler quarterback) and Uriah (former Butler wide receiver), who were high school All-Americans who were key part of state championship teams at Butler High School. Benny LeMay and Butler begin the season No. 2 in the Observer’s preseason Sweet 16 poll.

For the last three years, Benny LeMay has written his own legacy at Butler. He has rushed for 3,007 yards and 50 touchdowns. At 5-10, 210 pounds, LeMay can bench press 330 pounds, squat 600 and runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash. He’s coming off a junior season where he ran for 1,565 yards and 24 touchdowns.

He has committed to the Charlotte 49ers for college.

“Benny has dealt with those expectations when he was in youth football, when he played middle school football and when he got to high school at Butler, and he’s always going to be compared to his brothers,” said Butler football coach Brian Hales, who has coached all three LeMays. “For some guys, that pressure would eat them up. But for Benny, he wants those expectations. He wants that pressure.”

LeMay says he just focuses on being himself.

“Both Christian and Uriah were great players and set a high standard,” Benny LeMay said. “There’s definitely some pressure that goes along with having my name, but I kind of like and it drives to be at my best. But we all three play different positions, so I just try to concentrate on just trying to be my own player. My focus has always been to be the best Benny LeMay I can be, because that is all I can control.”

Their senior tailback will be heavily relied on this season. The team is younger overall, especially on offense.

“My main goal is to do whatever helps my team win games,” Benny said. “If that means getting the ball more, then I will do that. But I think a lot of our guys are going to step up and surprise people.”

LeMay was a freshman when Butler won its last state championship in 2012. As his senior year begins, LeMay makes it clear he wants to bookend his career with another.

“The goal every year at Butler is to win a state championship, and anything less is a disappointment,” he said. “I definitely want to get one more ring before I finish. The time is now.”

This story was originally published August 14, 2015 at 6:21 PM with the headline "Butler’s Benny LeMay focusing on being himself."