Transfer period begins: Benjamin back at TBT

Posted Jan 18, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Jan 20, 2012 at 03:00 PM

Hillsborough County’s unofficial player transfer period got underway Wednesday as the start of the next nine-weeek grading period began.

As confirmed last week by TBO.com and Middleton head football coach Alonzo Ashwood, Middleton wide receiver/quarterback Richard Benjamin has turned up back at TBT. Titans footbal coach Jayson Roberts said he saw the 6-1, 175-pound Benjamin at school this morning.

Benjamin started his prep football career at TBT as a freshman, transferred to Middleton as a sophomore and, last summer, came out briefly for the start of fall drills at TBT. Then his mother found out he had enrolled at TBT without her permission and made him return to Middleton.

Following Middleton’s 0-10 season last fall, Benjamin has fully enrolled at TBT, which went 8-4 last season and reached the region semifinals. Like Middleton, TBT is a magnet school where students from all corners of the county can attend if their enrollment application is approved.

Benjamin’s not the first player to switch schools in the middle of the academic year and from the rumors circulating, he won’t be the last this grading period or next. One out there earlier this week was that East Bay standout sophomore quarterback Tajee Fullwood was transferring to TBT. Big County Preps is reporting this transfer is going to happen. But as of Wednesday morning, Indians coach Frank LaRosa says Fullwood is still at East Bay.

TBT, of course, has lost it’s own share of players to other schools. Among others, they saw tight end Allen Covington leave their program last year and transfer to Armwood, where he became one of the county’s top defensive linemen on a state championship squad.