Why Ben Heenan Was Impressed by Indianapolis’s Offer

Why Ben Heenan Was Impressed by Indianapolis’s Offer

Anyone who follows trends in football closely will tell you that Ben Henaan was the most sought after agent. There were actually many teams that had made offers but at the end of it all, the lineman settled for Indianapolis Colts.

For the record, Henaan was the number 1 pick in the 2012 Canadian Football League Draft and that is why many teams were eying him. On his part, Henaan had his interests in mind and did not want to compromise on them.

“I think it’s natural in any athlete to compete at the highest level possible and it’s no secret that if you want to do that, that’s where you go, to be in the NFL,” Heenan said.

“It was an opportunity that wasn’t presented to me after college. I always kind of figured if there was an opportunity here during a contact year in the CFL that it was something that would be worth pursing if given the chance. I’m just very thankful for the opportunity the Colts have given me.”

Henaan was therefore looking for a team that would acknowledge his contribution as a lineman. And sure enough, he found the potential in Colts. His decision was actually influenced by the team’s general manager, Ryan Grigson. Grigson was actually very good in utilizing hands- on strategies and that is what moved the lineman.

The star realized that Grigson did not ignore the needs of linesmen. He actually monitored Grigson during training sessions before making a conclusion. This is because a lineman can not achieve much without support from the entire team.

Henaan used Jerrell Freeman, Henoc Muamba and Duron Carter as his case studies to determine whether Grigson would be able to assist him once he joined the Colts. The three players were reliable determinants because they were nurtured by Grigson.

Besides that Henaan was thrilled by thought of playing among friendly players who respected each other. “On the field, I take it personally,” Heenan said asking to describe his play.

“Anything we do whether it’s a run played called, you want to get a running back his yards or in the pass game, you want to keep that quarterback upright and want to keep a clean pocket. It’s just all about establishing a line of scrimmage.”

On his part, Grigson argued that he had to analyze Henaan’s past performance and decide whether he possessed the abilities that the Colts were looking for in a lineman. Most importantly he had to find out whether he could fit into the team. This is because a team must work together to achieve any meaningful gains.

“Ben has played a lot of snaps out there at tackle in Canada, but he has also played guard which we feel is his most natural fit for our league. Due to his intelligence and overall skill set he could also get some developmental work this offseason at center to see if that is a viable spot for him.

Ideally, we prefer all our offensive linemen to play at least two spots minimum, so the more you can do obviously the better chance you have to stick on this roster or practice squad for that matter.”