Ben Mason Makes His Bed
And he does it every day.
November 2nd, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^
After watching a Facebook video on the virtues of making your bed, Poggi decided it would be the first thing he did each morning. Mason, being the impressionable freshman he was, decided he would do the same.
Then, one day during camp, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh asked Mason to give the “Wise Words” after practice — a tradition in which one player offers a message of inspiration before ending the day. Players take the opportunity seriously, especially younger players like Mason looking to make an impression. Some opt for an inspirational quote or advice a coach gave them. Others choose a poem.
Mason took a different route.
“Ben had been talking to me about it,” Poggi recalls, “and he said he wanted to talk about how we make our beds every morning and how that gets us going.
“I’m like, ‘All right, you wanna run it through with me, so that it’s fresh in your mind so you sound good up there?’ ”
Mason declined. He had it all covered.
That is, until his moment arrived. Called up in front of the team to deliver his remarks, Mason’s mind wandered. He stared off into the distance for 10 seconds, Poggi estimates.
“People are kinda looking around like, ‘What on earth is this guy gonna say?’ ”
Then he started talking.
Every day, in the morning, me and Poggi wake up, and we yell at each other! And then we make our beds!
“And people are, like, waiting for it,” Poggi said. “He didn’t really know what else to say, he just knew that he wanted to talk about making beds. But he was so excited, he hadn’t thought about what really the point was to making beds.”
And it gets our day going!
From there, with nothing else to offer, Mason sprung into full panic mode, looking around in a plea for help. Harbaugh stepped in and gave Mason a hug.
“Ben,” he said, “that was awesome.”
November 2nd, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^
My goodness, Ben Mason is amazing. He's so uncomfortable doing anything other than crushing skulls.
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:40 PM ^
Amazing is the right word. What's NOT to love about this:
One day, Harbaugh called Mason and asked what he thought of a full-time move to fullback. Mason didn’t hesitate in his response.
“Oh, I would do anything that was right for the team,” he said Wednesday, thinking back, “and that I was excited to do it.”
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:42 PM ^
Makin’ Beds and Crushin’ Heads
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:44 PM ^
He strikes me as the type that enjoys things like model airplanes, cartoons, and cuddles with kittens and puppies, but also hitting people so hard that he sees snot bubbles and wearing someone's skull around his neck like a trophy.
November 2nd, 2018 at 5:27 PM ^
And hurdling fools.
November 2nd, 2018 at 2:53 PM ^
This is a classic bench being bench moment. Jack handley and chuck norris level stuff.
November 2nd, 2018 at 4:47 PM ^
Bench Mason fucking round house kicks lions in the mouth. Real lions and nittany lions. Legend is that he was born in a tornado and at 5 years old he kicked the shit out a 4th grader for stealing his chocolate milk at lunch.
November 2nd, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
double post - bench is worth twice the adulation
November 2nd, 2018 at 2:56 PM ^
I encourage everyone to open the link and read the whole piece. I’m surprised more stuff from The Daily doesn’t end up on the board.
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:46 PM ^
2nd. That was a joy to read. I'm not a jersey guy but if I was to buy one I think it would be 42.
November 2nd, 2018 at 2:56 PM ^
"It really gets us going."
Ben Mason is very fullback.
Harbuagh's promise to Bo to always have a fullback on the roster is about as football as football can get. Does anyone have a full account of how that went down? I picture it being an exchange with very few words. The fact that Bo had the thought and then the fact that he had Harbaugh make the promise is just excellent.
November 2nd, 2018 at 6:47 PM ^
Obviously not reality, but I always picture Bo on his deathbed with a viselike grip on the front of Harbaugh's shirt, pulling him down to his face like some dying Army hero, or italian mob boss or something. "Promise me you'll always have a fullback Jimmy, PROMISE MEeeeeeeee" and he collapses.
November 2nd, 2018 at 2:59 PM ^
Here is where I disclose that my position in high school was fullback and I wore number 42.
Here is where I also confess that I am now my second favorite fullback wearing number 42.
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:13 PM ^
Hoping Mason has been keeping Ben Van Sumeren in some cage in a darkly-lit room, reading him The Art of War, tossing a full side of beef in there every now and then.
Both of them on the field together next year will be a bloodbath.
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:24 PM ^
Don’t forget the gallon of whole milk. Gotta have something to wash that beef down.
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:26 PM ^
Oh, you can take it to the bank. We will see that.
I imagine Harbaugh in the offseason, on a dark and stormy night, up extremely late and cackling maniacally drawing up plays for this double-fullback set.
November 2nd, 2018 at 4:17 PM ^
Someday, I want to see the Full HARBAUGHHH lineup: 5 O-Linemen, 2 FB, 3 TE, and Gentry in at QB.
November 2nd, 2018 at 5:15 PM ^
Rather have Joe Milton in there. Gentry can be 1 of the 3 tight ends, and he can just run really really really far and Milton can throw it really really really far or run it really really really far.
November 2nd, 2018 at 5:12 PM ^
I was going to post this, I could watch it every day.
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:19 PM ^
“We felt like he was so good as a downhill type of linebacker that, to be able to do that all the time, to be a downhill, aggressive football player,” Harbaugh said, “fullback would be a great position for him.”
The funny thing is that I almost cannot imagine Mason as a linebacker because he is such a good fullback, but then I read this quote and think, "Even at that, if he were an LB, there might still be paths of destruction all over the field...."
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:41 PM ^
I feel like if he played linebacker he would miss half the season because every crushing hit would result in a targeting penalty because he would just destroy people, and refs would feel sorry and call targeting.
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:20 PM ^
For those interested, here is a video on why making your bed every day is important:
I don't know if this is the same video as they watched but I make my rack, er bed, every day because of this video. YMMV.
November 2nd, 2018 at 4:02 PM ^
thats all great until you get married and you're the one that gets up @ 0430-0500 hrs and the mrs does not have to get up for a couple more hours. good luck with that ritual.
November 2nd, 2018 at 4:35 PM ^
Jim gaffigan has a funny bit on making your bed, but I cant search for it right now.
Also scientific studies show that making your bed helps bed bugs and mites thrive. They love the dark warmth.
But hey. If you guys feel accomplished by doing this, more power to you.
November 2nd, 2018 at 5:12 PM ^
If you are counting on not making your bed to keep your home free of bed bugs, you seem likely to end up with much bigger problems
November 2nd, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^
This^^^
November 2nd, 2018 at 5:28 PM ^
I don't know nuthin' 'bout that marriage thing you speak of . . .
November 2nd, 2018 at 6:13 PM ^
Marriage is a blessing, just make sure you choose wisely.
November 3rd, 2018 at 12:32 PM ^
Your significant other watched you post that, didn't they?
November 2nd, 2018 at 5:42 PM ^
I had the same thought about what video they were referring, but the beef part is only the tip of the iceberg. That whole video is filled with nuggets, as a military retiree I find the admirals words incredibly motivating.
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:23 PM ^
Michigan fans can and do argue about play calling and style of play and how we want the team to be coached. But you put a guy like Ben Mason on the field and literally 100% of can finally agree: "That's it!"
A bruising, team-first fullback is literally in our DNA.
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:26 PM ^
Lol he's an aspiring long snapper, too because of course he is.
“The biggest thing with me: I wanted to come in and make an impact no matter how I could do it,” Mason said. “And I was going to find a way no matter to come in and make an impact.”
This was a guy who would find his way on the field or die trying.
There was a time when Mason thought that would come on special teams exclusively, so he honed his craft at long-snapper. He still wants to play long-snapper.
“I’m still thinking of doing that in the next couple years,” says the sophomore fullback with six touchdowns on the season.
He means it, too.
November 2nd, 2018 at 4:37 PM ^
Good God, could you imagine him crushing skulls with a 40 yard running head start on a punt?
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:27 PM ^
That's awesome, tell me more about how he makes his bed and cleans his room. I can't get enough.
November 2nd, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^
Only if you write more shit that indicates you didn’t click on the link or scroll through the comments before you posted this.
November 2nd, 2018 at 3:55 PM ^
Six-Degrees-of-Fullback:
In the article, Mason says he models his game after Kyle Juszczyk, currently with the 49ers, who value fullbacks, because Harbaugh.
Juszczyk started his NFL Career playing fullback for the Ravens -- under John Harbaugh.
Before that, Juszczyk played at Harvard under Tim Murphy. Murphy was previously the head coach at Cincinnati, where he mentored assistant, John Harbaugh.
At Harvard, Juszczyk was in the same blocky-catchy position group as Michael Hirsch -- a/k/a fullback "The Wolverine of Wallstreet".
November 2nd, 2018 at 5:06 PM ^
Thanks for posting.
I think Joe Kerridge made his bed too. Must be a FB thing.
November 2nd, 2018 at 5:22 PM ^
Ben Mason is my favorite player on this Michigan team, he's like the Winovich on the offensive side: never stops going, does whatever it takes to win and his teammates love him. I think he has such a huge role in the PSU and OSU games coming up, look for a fullback wheel route where Mason breaks one off!
November 2nd, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^
Ben Mason makes his bed with a sledgehammer and a sawzall
November 2nd, 2018 at 7:09 PM ^
On N64 when I was a wee lad... I would be the Bucs and move Alstott to HB. Then just run him up the middle the whole game at 3 yards a pop.
One drive this year JH should do the same. Let Mason be half back and give it to him 10 times in a row to make a statement. Maybe tomorrow.
November 2nd, 2018 at 7:10 PM ^
Ben Mason could time travel to the 1953 Michigan team and fit right in without anyone asking any questions.
November 2nd, 2018 at 7:23 PM ^
"The biggest thing with me: I wanted to come in and make an impact no matter how I could do it,” Mason said. “And I was going to find a way no matter to come in and make an impact.”
Imagine if Harbaugh wanted to move Mason to punter. The guy might be bombing 90 yard punts.
November 2nd, 2018 at 9:02 PM ^
Ben Mason specializes in making his bed and kicking ass...and he just finished his bed.
November 2nd, 2018 at 10:09 PM ^
Mason is just a pure bad ass.
One of my favorite players....