2026 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Benjamin Einess, LB, Northwest Missouri State

• Name: Benjamin Einess
• Position: Linebacker
• College: Northwest Missouri State University
• Height: 6’ 3”
• Weight: 230 lbs
• Twitter: @BenjaminEiness
• Instagram: @benjamineiness

What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2026 NFL Draft? 

• My ability to get in the backfield and disrupt a play early. High motor with fast recognition and
  diagnosis of the play which is followed by effective technique and sure tackling. My ability to
  get off a block is what makes me a play maker and top prospect.

What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you?

• I am a fast learner and I am always looking to pick up something new that I can utilize to make
  me a better player. I am very coachable and take all critiques and coaching points serious to help
  me better my game. When I make a mistake, I will figure out what I did wrong and how I can fix
  it so that I don’t make the same mistake twice. I am a very passionate player and always give
  everything I have to this game.

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be? 

• The continued research for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Who was your role model? 

• My Father. He showed me what it looked like to be a man and taught me everything I know.
  One thing that has always stuck with me from what he said was “your character is defined by
  what you do when nobody is watching”

Who is your favorite NFL team?

• I have always been a fan of the chiefs since I have grown up in Kansas City. But I have always
  loved the Bears as well. I grew up watching both because my dad was from Illinois and grew up
  with the Bears and when he moved to Kansas City the Chiefs became a team he grew to love.

Who is the most underrated teammate at your school? 

• Luke Mathews. He was a great player and cared a lot about the guys around him. He was
  always putting others before himself. He’s a sure handed wide receiver who can separate himself
  well and make plays with the ball in his hands.

What is your biggest pet peeve? 

• Pathological liars or people that stretch truths and make up stories to make themselves look
  better or possibly hurt others/others character.

Who is your favorite teacher ever?

• my Mother! Can’t beat that kind of love and devotion.

Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome? 

• I have been blessed throughout my life and haven’t experienced terrible hardship. But when it
  comes to football there has been setbacks. The toughest one I have had to deal with was “waiting
  my turn.” To work so hard in the off-seasons and train more than others while not being able to
  play or see the fruits of the labor I was putting in, was very detrimental to my mental health early
  on in my college career. I felt that I deserved to be out there on the field with my brothers and
  WAS good enough. But some people saw it different and kept their guys in. I always viewed it as
  favoritism or I was just being looked over for some reason. I was often very confused and angry
  with the situation. However, I believe everything happens for a reason and god’s timing is always
  perfect. So, I trusted the process and through my ever loving and supporting parents, I decided I
  would see it through to the end. And in the end, it was worth the wait. I had a great senior year
  with all my boys and ended up earning All-conference honors. I was truly blessed with the great
  group of people around me for the final ride.

If you could have any franchise restaurant in your house what would it be?

• Culver’s. It has always been my go-to. Canes is a very close second.

What is your favorite snack food? 

• Popcorn is the number one. I make it all the time. Also, a big fan of dried mangos and almonds.
  If I want to eat bad I’ll go for zebra cake rolls or twinkies.

What is your degree in? 

• Business Management

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? 

• Jesus. I would love to just have a conversation with the savior, like I was talking to a friend. I
  would ask him about life, about heaven, about past loved ones. For a fun dinner I would have Chris Farley, John Candy, and Bill Murray. I grew up watching quite a few movies with those guys in them and love their humor and spirit. I would watch Tommy Boy all the time with Chris Farley as well as black sheep and Beverly Hills Ninja. I’d watch Planes, Trains, and Automobiles with John Candy as well as Uncle Buck and The Great Outdoors. And then for Bill Murray I loved What About Bob, Groundhog Day, and Ghostbusters.

What is your biggest weakness? 

• Often caring too much what others think about me and how they perceive me.