“Work” is a word that, in his heavily accented speech, LSU junior defensive tackle Bennie Logan uses often. “Guys that’s not in the spotlight, they have to be hungry and humble, they’ve got to be patient with it,” Logan said. “I wasn’t the high-ranked defensive lineman, so I had to work harder than the five-stars to get into college. … That motivated me throughout my life.” The recruiting circuit barely noticed Logan as a high school junior, even as he was being named Class 2A First-Team All-State. As a senior, his name received some clout when he repeated as an All-State performer, and a late commitment to the Tigers didn’t cultivate lofty expectations. Three years later, Logan, with the help of his work ethic, has found himself in an unfamiliar position as the anchor of college football’s premier front four and the designated leader of the nation’s No. 3 team. “I was recruited late in the year, so I’m not used to all the spotlight and all of the cameras,” Logan said. “… It’s new to me, but with great talent comes great responsibility so it’s something I have to get used to.” Following a redshirt freshman year when he saw action in three blowouts, Logan announced his arrival at last season’s opener against Oregon with four tackles and a near interception. That was just the beginning. Logan earned Southeastern Conference Defensive Lineman of the Week after recording three tackles for loss against Mississippi State. He was responsible for one of Alabama’s missed field goals in the “Game of the Century” on Nov. 5, 2011, when he got his fingertips on a second-quarter try. He forced a fumble in the SEC Championship win. “Once I started making plays, it was a thing to me like, ‘Oh, you know you could do it, why are you cheating yourself? Don’t cheat yourself anymore. Just continue working hard to be better and continue dominating,'” Logan said. Work is what he remembers of watching Drake Nevis, the former teammate after whom Logan models himself. It’s what he tries to impart to the younger players with his actions on the field and in the weight room. Work is what ultimately led the coaching staff to award Logan with the coveted No. 18 uniform during spring. LSU Coach Les Miles called him a “program guy” at media day and Logan said he was honored to follow players like Richard Murphy and Matt Mauck who have donned the number before him. “[Bennie] called me and he said, ‘My number changed!’ … I thought he was talking about his cell phone number,'” said Logan’s cousin Harry Garry. “… He was really excited about it. He always had that leadership quality.” Garry helped Logan through a long recruiting process, which Garry said was the result of Logan “never [getting] in the right eyes” at Red River High School in small-town Coushatta, La. Garry said he thought Logan was also overshadowed: 30 minutes away in Mansfield, fellow class of 2009 recruit Chris Davenport, who’s since converted to offensive tackle for LSU, was garnering the national attention along the defensive line with a five-star rating from Rivals.com. It wasn’t until midway through his senior year that Logan began gaining notoriety for his increased strength, size and production. Nebraska and Michigan were pushing hard for him, Garry said. The local Louisiana schools were also in the mix; their proximity to Logan’s home was a positive. So when LSU made itself known as a serious suitor, Garry said it was all over. Logan said Alabama wanted him to visit before he made a trip to Baton Rouge, but he was offered a scholarship by Miles on an official visit Jan. 23, 2009, and signed 12 days later. “Because of the road he took, he could’ve said, ‘Nah, this ain’t for me,'” Garry said. “He stayed humble, he kept doing what he had to do and he kept working hard. That hard work is paying off for him now.” After his breakout season, defensive coordinator John Chavis thinks Logan’s development could mirror another recently departed Tiger. “It was amazing to watch what [first-round draft pick] Michael Brockers was able to accomplish in only two years of playing and then watch Bennie grow the same way,” Chavis said. “We certainly expect Bennie to play better this year.” Appearing on the Outland Trophy Watch List in the offseason, Logan knows he won’t surprise anyone this fall. He’s added eight pounds to his 6-foot-3-inch frame in order to take on frequent double teams. Known as a run-stopper, he’s worked on his pass rush to catch blockers off guard. Most of all, he’s working. “I don’t feel like I need to step out and be anything spectacular,” Logan said. “I’m just going to continue doing what I’m doing and work hard at practice. It’s the little things you do that will eventually separate you.”
 
—- Contact Alex Cassara at acassara; Twitter: @cassaraTDR