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Another Guidugli boosts UC
Ben follows in brother Gino's footsteps
BY BILL KOCH | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
From 2001 to 2004, Gino Guidugli was the face of University of Cincinnati football. He became the Bearcats' career passing leader and led them to three bowl appearances.
Now there's a new Guidugli on campus. Gino's younger brother, Ben, is just a few weeks into a college career he hopes will be every bit as fruitful as Gino's.
"Ben's going to be somebody you've got to keep your eye on," Gino said Tuesday. "He's an exciting player. I can't wait to see him play his first game against Eastern (Kentucky)."
Ben Guidugli, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound freshman, already has made an impact on the UC coaches, who have installed him as a combination tight end and fullback.
"He can move around and play a variety of places," said UC coach Mark Dantonio. "He can play a hybrid tight end. He can be flexed out. He can be in the backfield in power situations. He's starting to catch the ball like he did in high school. He's going to be a very good player for us."
Ben was a first-team all-state selection as a tight end as a senior at Highlands High School with 1,050 receiving yards and six touchdowns. As a junior, he was a second-team all-state selection as a linebacker on a team that won the state championship.
Now he starts all over again with a name that still resonates strongly at UC.
"Whenever somebody's talking about UC football, usually (Gino) comes up," Ben said. "I guess it's a good thing that he has a legacy here, but I'm trying to make my own here. It's cool, but I'm trying to do my own thing, too."
Ben said he considered the possibility that following his brother at UC could be difficult because of the expectations it would create, but that didn't prevent him from going where he felt he would fit the best.
"That's why maybe I was going to go to Colorado," he said.
"But the main thing that kept me here was Coach (Mark) Dantonio," Ben said. "It wasn't because (Gino) went here. I didn't feel like I was going to be a favorite or anything. I just felt like I trusted Coach Dantonio and I've been around the Cincinnati program so long, I just felt comfortable with the whole situation here."
The oldest of the four Guidugli boys, Gino didn't try to tell his brother which school to attend, but he didn't hesitate to share his experience at UC with Ben.
"I'm biased," Gino said. "I wanted him to go to UC. I told him he had to make the decision for himself. I told him what a great staff they had and the direction I thought the program was headed, what the university offered me while I was there. A lot of the same things could apply to him."
After Ben selected UC and as summer camp approached, Gino offered more advice. He told Ben to be patient, be prepared to hear an earful from the coaches when he made a mistake and to take things one play, one practice, one day at a time as he adjusts to major-college football.
During the first 10 days of practice, things have gone pretty much the way Gino said they would.
"You come in the first week and it's like information overload," Ben said. "You never knew football was so complicated. You think you'll never get it. But then you keep practicing and the week goes by and you start to learn it and feel more comfortable with it. That's where I am right now. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with it, so now I'm just going out there and playing."
While Ben attempts to carve out his own niche at UC, Gino continues to cling to his goal of playing in the NFL. He was not drafted after his senior year at UC and signed as a free agent last year with the Tennessee Titans, but he was cut before the regular season started.
He hasn't ruled out the possibility that he might end up on an NFL roster this season. He says his agent has received calls from several teams, which he finds encouraging, but so far nothing concrete has developed.
If nothing happens this season, he hopes to play in NFL Europe next spring.
"It's frustrating," Gino said. "I'm on the map in some places, but it's going to take somebody to get hurt or not performing."
Ben's pulling for him. "I know he can play," Ben said. "He just needs a chance."
BUCKS!
