2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Ben Sieczkowski, FB, Wagner College

• Name: Ben Sieczkowski
• Height: 6ft 2In
• Weight: 245
• Position: Fullback / Half Back
• College: Wagner College
• Twitter: @BenSieczkowski

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?

•  I grew up in Manalapan NJ, it’s a nice little town whichholds a lot of good people. I have a number of Manalapan people who have helped me throughout my college years and always kept in touch with me. Such as my head coach and football buddies. I love that there is a strong sense of community here and people are always helping people in need. 

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?

•  Practice, then Film Study, and then Strength and conditioning. This is the order I choose because practice is the closest you can get to a game without it being an actual game. Practice helps with every aspect of the game. Whether it’s your first step in blocking or catching a ball practice makes perfect. Then studying film is second in the list because knowing your opponents next move is a huge advantage. 

What do you worry about, and why?

• Since my last college season ended all I worry about is the thought that I could possibly be done playing a sport that I love.

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?

• Coming out of high school I only played my senior year and did not receive a full scholarship by Wagner College. This was a big failure in my eyes because that was a goal of mine. I decided that I will except my situation and realized that I’ll just have to work that much harder to eventually fulfill my goals.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• That I was tough.

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?

• My own teammate Matt Diaz. He was extremely technic sound, big and could move well. 

What would your career be if you couldn’t play football? 

• My career would have been more Wrestling and Boxing oriented. Those are my two other favorite sports that a dappled in but never took as serious as football. So if I didn’t have the love for football like I do I would have taken those sports to the next level.

Room, desk and car – which do you clean first?

• My car. All my life my room has always been clean so I don’t let it get messy to begin with. I would have to clean my car because I’m always throwing different football gear in it or clothing to change in and out of after training.

If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?

• I would save my family member first because I think it would be my natural instinct to grab them first. But I would try to go back and to save the other three if I could. 

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?

• I would be Spiderman. In my opinion he is the coolest super hero. He can climb straight up a building and can almost fly from building to building. Furthermore, he doesn’t really have a weakness like most superheroes do.

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?

• As a freshman in high school I fractured my L5S1 vertebrae in my lower back. Long story short I ultimately needed surgery and finally came back to football my senior year to start on both sides of the ball and we ended the season with winning states for my high school. To this day that is still the only team in Manalapan history to win states. This also kicked off me falling in love with football and wanting to pursue football from college to now the professionals.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•  My most embarrassing moment would be the only time I’ve been pinned in a wrestling match. My junior year I wrestled this kid from Monroe NJ who pinned me in the second round of the match. Being held on my back in front of a crowd of people was the worst feeling as a man. It’s something I never want to experience. 

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• My most memorable play is when I scored a touchdown at a home game against Saint Francis in my 2018 season. My family was there screaming their heads off.

What song best describes your work ethic?

• I won’t back down by Tom Petty. It reminds me of boxing with my dad and three brothers in the basement when I was young. This song really reminds me of my father. The words “I won’t back down and I’ll stand my ground” describes my work ethic to a tee. 

What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level? 

• Simply put I don’t give up. All my life I’ve kept my head up, didn’t listen to any outside noise, and kept moving forward. This is the most important trait that any human should have to achieve success.

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?

• Bruce Lee. He had so much knowledge of the human body and secret training regiments that I would love to learn and use for myself. It’s such a shame he took a lot of his knowledge to the grave without passing it on.

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it? 

• My nickname in college was Sizzle. So I would name the club Sizzle and market it as the hottest club in the area.

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Kyle Juszczyk. I’m not saying this just because I am a half back just like him. I’m saying this because I firmly believe he is an influential player. He does everything he can for his team such as playing on many special teams, blocks all the time, and can also make the important catch when no one else is expecting it. Also respect is a two-way street so it’s a good gage of character to see if someone who has it all or has nothing can still show mutual respect.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

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• I would rather be respected. Respect is an honorable thing to achieve. If you are generally respected amongst your peers, then that’s an indication that you are doing things right. You don’t have to speak to be respected either. You can be respected strictly off of your work ethic.

What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?​

• Ernest Davis. He was derailed at the hands of his own health this is a sad story. He was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 22 years old. He never even got the chance to play as a professional and died at 23 years old. When I was young I watched the movie (The Express: The ErineDavis Story) and its ironic that he passed at 23 and that is how old I am currently.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I hate to lose. Losing sticks with you for longer than if you were to win.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?

• Both of my parents. They are who forged my mindset to be so stubborn and to always stick to what I believe in. I have watched my parents struggle since I was young but they always kept it together, they always stayed by each other’s side, and they always put food on the table.