Braden Benjamin spent years in the trenches of the NFL. The former Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman went on to play for the Green Bay Packers before walking away from professional football. Three years ago, he switched gears entirely and has not looked back since.

Benjamin is now a fueler on the pit crew for INDYCAR SERIES driver Christian Rasmussen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The jump from the gridiron to the fast lane was not something he saw coming, and he admits the learning curve was real.

"I knew nothing about INDYCAR before I got into it," Benjamin said as reported on FOX6 News. "A lot of the hardware is a lot smaller than I thought it would be. I'm like, this car is going how fast, and the bolt's that small, but it's all engineered too, like it's insane. That was the biggest surprise when I first got into it."

The NFL never fully leaves you, though. Benjamin still misses the game, particularly the physical and human side of it, as he shared in a recent feature.

"The contact, as an offensive lineman, you're in the trenches every day, you don't realize how much you miss that until you're out of it," he said, "One of the things I missed most about the NFL was the locker room, and this kind of reminds me a lot of that, so having a good group of guys."

The NCAA highlighted Benjamin's story, calling it a case of "same pressure, different uniform," a line that sums up his journey better than anything else could.

From the Trenches to the Pit Lane

The transition has been smoother than most would expect. Benjamin's size and athleticism, the same tools that made him effective on the offensive line, are exactly what IndyCar pit crews look for. Crew chief Nick Cooper explained what the job demands.

"We could generally change the tires in less than six seconds, and then we can deliver fuel in less than like seven," Cooper said, "We like big guys for fueling, we like tall guys for air jack."

Benjamin fits that description perfectly. As a fueler, he handles one of the most pressure-filled roles on the crew, delivering fuel to a car moving at extraordinary speeds with no room for error. It is a different kind of pressure from the NFL, but pressure nonetheless.

For Benjamin, the message is simple. "Try something new," he said. "Don't be afraid to try stuff, and if it doesn't work out, move on to the next thing."

What do you think about Benjamin's journey from the NFL to IndyCar? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi