VALDOSTA, Ga. – In August, the Gulf South Conference announced it was postponing competition in football, volleyball, soccer and men's and women's basketball until at least January 1, 2021.  
 
Looking to bounce back from a disappointing NCAA second round playoff loss in 2019, the Valdosta State football team had its sights set on its third-straight Gulf South Conference championship in 2020 and a run at another national championship.
 
Despite the postponement of football for the fall, senior wide receiver Kenny Benjamin sat down to talk about the impact of the pandemic has had dating back to March.
 
Benjamin, a native of Lehigh Acres, Fla., and Dunbar High School, has played in 30 games for his career with 16 starts.  He has 34 rushes for 265 yards and one score, while catching 75 balls for 765 yards and nine touchdown receptions.  He also has handled kickoff returns with 48 returns for 1,056 yards.  This past season, Benjamin played in seven games with five starts catching 14 passes for 121 yards and two scores, while recording six kickoff returns for 102 yards.  
 
During the national championship season in 2018, Benjamin played in all 14 games with 11 starts and led the team in catches with 40 with seven touchdown catches.  In the national championship game, he had a receiving touchdown giving VSU a 14-10 lead early in the second quarter.  VSU went on for a thrilling 49-47 victory over Ferris State (Mich.) completing the first undefeated season in school history (14-0) and the program's fourth national title.  
 
Below is the Q&A session with Benjamin.
 
1) Coming off last season, what were your hopes and goals for the 2020 season both you individually and as a team?
"This upcoming 2020 season my goal was to see that all the hard work I put in this off season to get my broken ankle back 100 percent had paid off and to be able to help my team win another national championship in any way I can. A championship is the goal we set every year and we set that by having a champion attitude and dedication."

2) When you first heard the NCAA postseason was cancelled for the fall, how did it make you feel?

3) What was the conversation like with the team and coaches when the announcement was made on the season being postponed?

"Well, when we talked as a team about the news on the season, coach made it clear that it's okay to be a little frustrated. We have to know that it's no one's fault and there's no one to be mad at, so let's try to make the situation a little better by taking this as a whole year off season and train and work towards 2021.  Because every school in our division has to do the same thing, let's not be the team that takes a year off but takes a year to get better every single day."

4) As a student-athlete, how was the transition from going to class every day to online learning last spring?
"It was hard because sometimes as a student-athlete you kind of dread going to class and working out and practicing every day. But when you don't get that opportunity you quickly see the advantages of it.  Online may be a little easier to manage your work, but you still miss being on campus and being around your brothers."

5) How was your summer, did you go home or stay in Valdosta? Were you impacted by COVID-19 this summer and if so, how?
"I did go home for some of the summer.  I was able to get a lot of work in with a few guys in my city and I was also able to do a lot of fishing and golfing. Thankfully I was not affected by COVID."

6) You guys were one of the few teams in the country who got a complete spring season done prior to COVID.  How do you feel that will help this fall in practice and when the team returns to play games?
"That work we were able to get in the spring gave us the opportunity to grow as a unit, an opportunity we took advantage of.  Some schools haven't been in pads since the season, and we were able to hit and compete early this year. But if we don't get better this fall, then spring does not mean a thing."

7) As a senior, how will you still be able to lead your teammates this fall despite not playing games?

"As of right now we are having workouts and even though they are volunteer, as seniors we have to let the young guys know that, if you want to be great and you want to be a champion, there is nothing that is "volunteer."  If it is important to you, you'll do it. That's the tradition this school has and that's the attitude that wins championships."

8) What is the team's mentality and yours heading into the fall knowing there won't be games played?
"The mentality is to get better any way we can in every way we possibly can. We have to know the other teams are going to get better this fall and we have to be one of those teams."

9) What do you think is the biggest challenge now for VSU football heading into an unprecedented fall?
"The biggest challenge I think for every team this fall is going to be staying motivated. The team that will win the 2021 national championship will be the team that took advantage of this opportunity to get better. Whoever stays motivated through this rough time will be on top."

10) There have been a number of schools with a lot of COVID cases over the summer, what have you guys as a team done to help each other stay safe and to make sure everyone on the team does the right things for safety purposes? How will you guys continue to help each other stay safe with school starting now?

"As a team we are making sure that we follow our guidelines and all of the rules because we know that if we don't do those things the program will get shut down and we will not be able to work out and train with each other. So, we are maintaining social distance and staying away from big crowds.  We all try to hold each other accountable."