Ivan Benson''s report card shows three B''s after three semesters (plus summer) in the College of Communications.

   Not bad for a Fighting Illini football player, but read on.

   All his other grades were A''s. If you''re scoring, that''s a 3.7 grade point average on a 4-point scale.

   "I laugh when people use the old stereotypes about football players being dumb," said Benson. "If we even do an average job in the classroom, that''s better than most because we have to balance football and school, and football is like a 40-hour job. I don''t believe people understand the dedication that''s required."

   A running back from Jefferson City, Mo., Benson was lost in the recruiting furor circulating around the 1995 class. Lineman Mike Flaar was a USA Today All-American.

   Guard Chico Brown would get to start as a raw freshman. Manuel Strong was saluted as the next Kevin Hardy. Kirk Johnson filled the quarterback slot vacated by Chris Redman. Oku Satcher and Marvin McLean were physically advanced. The UI beat out Penn State and Notre Dame for Springfield''s Mike McGee.

   Two years took a toll. Brown, McLean and Satcher are gone, and Johnson is battling for the third QB spot.

   Hard workers Eric Guenther, Danny Clark, Rameel Connor, Jeff Weisse, Mike Gusich, Steve Havard, Rob Majoy, Tony Francis and Asim Pleas have surfaced as the most productive in the class. And Benson has moved in as a starting safety.

   "When I look back on someone like Chico, I''m disappointed," said Benson. "I think it was immaturity. He just wasn''t ready for college, and he didn''t have the guidance."

Mom is always there for him

   Benson admits he also "gets down" at times, but he has a solution.

   "That''s when I call mom (Malinda Benson)," he said. "She gets me on course. She is the director of minority affairs for the Missouri lottery, and she raised three boys as a single mother.

   "My two older brothers have excelled. Malcolm was a tailback at Hampton University (Va.) and has an engineering degree. Timothy had a scholarship at Rochester (NY) and will be attending medical school this fall."

   The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder chose Illinois "because of the school''s cultural diversity and academic reputation." He viewed the UI as a "big bowl contender" in 1994. But his ball-toting dreams ended when he saw Robert Holcombe.

   Ivan moved to defense one year ago.

   "I played defense in high school, and I didn''t want to sit around for two years on offense. I love safety.

   "I think I showed myself on special teams last year. Big hits have been a trademark, like when Marquis Mosely was returning that first punt against Michigan. We were running a wall play and the (Michigan) guy was unsuspecting. I put everything into that hit, and it was a subject of discussion for awhile."

Benson meets the criteria

   Check him out. Ivan fits the criteria and, when you''re read the following, you''ll have a new appreciation for him.

    Speed: He finished fifth in the Missouri 110-meter hurdles as a junior and fourth as a senior. At 205 pounds, he runs 40 meters in 4.5 seconds.

    Strength: Junior Steve Willis and Benson ranked 3-4 among safeties on the school''s all-time lifting chart last year. That is a ranking Benson can''t improve at this time because of a February wrist injury that is protected with a cast-like covering in practice.

    Attitude: He is the UI''s only male nominee for the Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars Awards to be announced April 17 in Black Issues. This honor goes to black athletes with good grades and a record of community service. Benson''s work with youth at Champaign''s Douglass Center and in East St. Louis are part of his contributions.

    Intelligence: Benson has been Academic All-Big Ten twice, is a George Huff winner and was the team''s scholar-athlete award winner in 1996.

    Football ability: Benson drew notice as special teams Player of the Year and had more field time than starting safety Toriano Woods in the last three games.

   Said new secondary coach Leslie Frazier: "He got a lot of reps last season and was coming on at the end. I saw enough on tape to move him up as a starter this spring, and the things I saw have proven to be true."

   Loren Tate writes for The News-Gazette.