UW Roster Review, No. 2-99: Hines Lacks Minutes, But Not Head Slaps
Ben Hines, depending on what kind of day he's having, is a third- or fourth-string inside linebacker for the University of Washington football team, well down the ladder.
At 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds, the sophomore from Snohomish, Washington, is a little on the slight side for what he does. Entering his fourth season with the Huskies, Hines hasn't appeared in a Husky game either.
Still, he's no invisible man on this roster.
Midway through the 15 spring practices, Hines stepped in front of a crossing tight end Devin Culp and stole the pass. The backer took a few steps and slid onto the turf. Then the fun began.
For a defense that likes to celebrate, the ensuing revelry for this play was over the top just the same.
Hines immediately was engulfed by euphoric Husky teammates on the field and coming fast from the sideline. They jumped on him. Slapped his helmet. Head-butted him. Hugged him. Slapped his helmet a little more. This went on longer than most spring UW bro fests.
It mattered little where he sits on the depth chart or that he's still waiting to make his regular-season debut. The Huskies like Hines. He's one of them and they show it.
He's also a serious guy, with a 3.85 grade-point average and admittance to the Foster School of Business, yet he's a funny man, unafraid to let loose with a carpool chorus for a friend.
Going down the roster in numerical order, this is another of our post-spring assessments of all of the Husky talent at hand, gleaned from a month of observations, as a way to keep everyone engaged during the offseason.
Hines wears No. 35, which he shares with his offensive opposite, walk-on running back Christian Galvan.
He hails from Archbishop Murphy High School, where he teamed with current Husky starting cornerback Kyler Gordon and played for former UW linebacker Jerry Jensen, who was an All-Pac-10 selection and played briefly in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers.
With Hines a varsity player for four seasons, Murphy won 44 of 50 games, including a 2A state championship in 2016. A 2-star linebacker, he turned down a scholarship offer from San Diego to walk on at the UW.
It wasn't the perfect situation for him in regards to game-day minutes. Everything else works.
Hines' 2021 Outlook: Projected as a reserve inside linebacker
UW Service Time: None
Stats: None
Individual Honors: None
Pro Prospects: None
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