Q+A With Duke Football: Ben Frye

DURHAM – The Voice of the Blue Devils, David Shumate, sat down with graduate student defensive end Ben Frye for a brief question and answer session.

DS: With everyone here so specialized, what went into the decision to pursue two sports?
BF: It was a later decision for me. It wasn't until my second year of football that I decided to go out and wrestle. It was based on circumstance and opportunities that came from some injuries, but it was something that I really wanted to do. Without the injuries, it might not have even happened but you never know.

DS: Your hometown Dublin, Ohio, is known for golf in the area. Are you much of a golfer?
BF: Absolutely not. I despise everything that is golf, I am a contact sport only kind of guy. But, a lot of my friends and a lot of guys on the team love golf so some of them know the area that I am from. The memorial tournament is always there. My step-dad is a big golfer. There are a lot of green courses around where I am from. It's a beautiful area, just not for me.

DS: What is your favorite thing about your hometown?
BF: Right now, the really cool part is that since I have left they have put a lot of new industries in and there is a whole new downtown area, which has been cool. There are a lot more people and it is beginning to become a nicer area. Every time I go back I see things that weren't there when I was last home. One cool thing is our school system is ranked one of the top in the country in public school systems. It is really cool to have come from that.

DS: How would you describe your relationship with co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Ben Albert?
BF: It's a pretty cool relationship. Coach Albert always says he is a creature of habit, and he doesn't change. He expected the same things that he told me when he was recruiting me and that's what I stick to. I'm just going to play hard and listen to coaching. I love the guy and I would never play for another coach. He understands me, we don't have to say anything to understand each other. We are both aggressive guys that love intensity and we know how each other are feeling. I love playing for the guy, he's a players coach. He can always get the best out of us. He's done a lot as a d-line coach and he is really respected in the community, but he is more respected as a person to us.

DS: Whenever a defensive line birthday comes around I see a picture of a cake. Who attacks the cake the hardest among the rush men?
BF: Usually he (Albert) will bring it back to the locker room and guys will start fighting over the cake. Coach Albert's wife and daughter usually hook us up with those. They bake them. It's a cool thing, they take the time to know when each individual guy's birthday is and we have a lot of guys so it's a lot of birthdays and a lot of baking. It's cool because we are away from home and away from family and they are our family here, so it feels like we are at home when a coach and his family can accept you in like that. It's really cool.

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Q+A With Duke Football: Ben Frye

Players Mentioned

Ben Frye

Duke information

Q+A With Duke Football: Ben Frye

Players Mentioned

Ben Frye

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