Family practice

Bingham is a product of football in every way

By RICH JOHNSON
UNIVERSITY JOURNAL

Football flows through Josh Bingham’s blood.
The senior defensive end comes from a family of football players.
Bingham’s father played for Weber State University. His younger brother, Ryon, is currently the starting nose tackle for one of the most powerful football programs in the nation, Nebraska.
Josh and Ryon Bingham, separated in age by only 13 months, played football together for most of their lives, starting in seventh grade.
The two brothers also formed a deep friendship.
“We were inseparable in high school, pretty much,” Bingham said. “That’s what was really hard when I moved off to college and he still had another year of high school.”
Bingham said it became even harder when his brother chose to go to Nebraska.
“He had offers pretty throughout the whole country,” Bingham said. “He was thinking Florida State at first, and he kind of just kind of backed out on that issue and he really liked it at Nebraska.
“He went out there and that was kind of hard for me to deal with because I see him once a year now,” he added.
Bingham does get the opportunity to see his brother play on TV, as well as in person.
“I go to every bowl game they have,” he said. “I went to the national championship Rose Bowl last year. It’s really fun.”
Meanwhile, Bingham is shining at SUU. Last season, the 6-foot-2, 245-pound product of Alta High School in Sandy had 39 tackles (seven for a loss) and four sacks in 11 games.
His performance earned him I-AA All-Independent honors, along with teammate Tonga Mounga.
“He’s one of the guys that comes in and does his work every day,” SUU head football coach C. Ray Gregory said. “You never have to worry about him not doing what he’s supposed to do. I don’t think he’s ever asked for anything more than we’ve ever given him. I don’t think he’s ever been petty. I think he’s the true meaning of the word teammate.”
Gregory also said Bingham has great leadership skills because he sets an example for the team.
“He’s always on time, always does what he’s supposed to do,” Gregory said. “So if you follow Josh you’re going to be where you’re supposed to be, when you’re supposed to be. He’s not a yeller or a talk guy. He just leads by example.”
Bingham’s love of defense and his intensity are part of what leads to his success. He loves the opportunities he’s afforded as a defensive lineman.
“There’s a lot of people that take off plays,” Bingham said. “I’ve never been a person to do that. I think I give my all every time, and I think that’s probably why I was All-Independent last year and Tonga’s the same way.”
Defense allows him to play with more intensity than offense, he added.
“Your parents are always telling you to calm down, be quiet and stuff like that,” he said. “But you get out on the football field and it’s just pretty much a wide-open world.”
Mounga and Bingham have played on the line together for most of their college careers. Last season, the duo combined for 7.5 sacks. If Mounga is declared eligible by the NCAA for his senior season, the two could expect even more this season.
“They’ve played in so many games, they know how tough it is...” Gregory said. “For the most part, they’ve played against most of the teams we’re playing except for maybe Stephen F. Austin. That playing experience is hard to match.”
Mounga’s presence helps Bingham’s performance on the field, Bingham said.