Wide Receiver Ben Guarino invited to both Jets and Giants pro-days
Published by May 9,2018 | By Craig Epstein
Ben Guarino posing for a picture at one of his pro-days. Photo courtesy of Ben Guarino.
Making the National Football League is one of the hardest things that any amateur football player can do. It take a lot of grit, determination, and focus, as well as the never-ending desire to succeed. That is why the fact that Kean University wide receiver Ben Guarino got an invite to both the New York Jets and Giants on April 5 and 6 is truly a remarkable accomplishment.
“Being invited to both the Jets and Giants local days was an amazing feeling because it shows that my hard work is paying off,” Guarino said. “Not too many people from Division III get noticed by NFL teams, so it’s a big accomplishment for myself and for Kean university.”
To put things into perspective, there are more than 480,000 athletes that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Out of those 480,000 student-athletes, only 1.5 percent will actually make the NFL one day. The odds of anybody making an NFL squad are slim to none. But that fact doesn’t deter Guarino from working hard and hoping to ultimately live out his dream of playing in the NFL.
“Even though it is a great accomplishment to be invited for the local days I hope I’m not done,” Guarino said. “I want a call back for rookie mini camp.”
Although Guarino only played at Kean for two seasons, he made the most out of his time, playing in each of his 20 games and recording a total of 50 receptions for 856 yards and and 10 touchdowns. The Caldwell native also recorded 42.8 yards per game with an average of 17.1 yards.
By the end of his two seasons, Guarino led all Cougar receivers in receptions, yards, touchdowns, and yards per game. For his efforts, he was named to the All-NJAC Second-Team. Combine that with the fact that he was invited to both the Jets and Giants pro-days, the 6-1” 205 lbs. senior most definitely had a collegiate career worth remembering.
For Head football Coach Daniel Garrett, he only had positive things to say about his former player.
“It’s a phenomenal story; he has made himself into a football player,” Garrett said. “He has a great work ethic, is extremely coachable, athletic, and fast.”
When it came to how far he thinks Guarino’s football skills can take him, Garrett believes that the sky’s the limit for the speedy receiver.
“His ceiling is very high, his speed has opened doors for him,” Garrett said. “He has been afforded opportunities that many other talented football players have not gotten, it is a great story and he is humble and appreciative of the opportunity.”
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