Dirtbag not a Diva
by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published August 5, 2025, 12:39 PM
LATROBE, Pa. – If you’re looking for flash and filters, Ben Skowronek isn’t your guy. But if you want a dude who looks like he could rip waves in Malibu in the morning and blow up a wedge return team by afternoon, then yeah meet “Benny Skow.”
He’s got a surfer’s hair, a linebacker’s frame, and a wide receiver’s mentality. Think of The Big Lebowski with cleats and a visor. No nonsense, no complaining. Just effort, edge, and a little dirt under the fingernails. The NFL might polish most players down to a glossy finish—but not Skowronek.
“Benny Skow. Dirt Bag.” he says with a shrug and a smirk. Those are the nicknames that stuck. It fits. He’s the kind of guy you throw into the mud on kickoff coverage or ask to dig out a safety on an inside zone and he’ll thank you for the opportunity.
“I just think I was raised the right way,” Skowronek said. “Taught to play hard. Play gritty. That’s all I’ve ever known.”
A seventh-round pick back in 2021, Skowronek has already lasted longer than most draft hopefuls ever dream of. He carved out a role with the Rams as a glue-guy, even lining up at fullback during their Super Bowl run. Now in Pittsburgh, he’s chasing another shot at making noise—not with noise, but with grind.
“I don’t look at the depth chart,” he said. “I’ve never had anything guaranteed, so every year it’s just been about showing up and earning my keep. That’s how I approach every camp—just get better every day.”
Skowronek stands 6’3″, weighs 224 pounds, and moves well enough to make you wonder why people keep forgetting he can be a legitimate receiving threat.
I offered up the question about why he isn’t considered
“My rookie year I was learning, then I had some injuries,” said Benny Skow. “My second year I really felt like I was coming into my own, but I never got much opportunity. Last year was weird. I got here Week 1 and went straight to IR. So, this camp, it’s important. I’m excited to show what I can do and build trust.”
Trust won’t come just from snatching passes. For Skowronek, it comes from doing the dirty work. Special teams. Blocking. Hustling. It’s the kind of stuff that doesn’t light up highlight reels but wins respect inside locker rooms.
Known for his tenacious special team’s mindset, remember he is a receiver who possesses defenders mindset. However, Skowronek has taken reps with the ones in drills and that is normal during camp for players up and down the depth chart to be thrown into different plays.
“I love the dirty work,” he said. “I love playing special teams. I think I’m an underrated receiving threat, too, but I’ll keep sharpening that and let the coaches decide.”
He’s part of a wide receiver room he genuinely admires—guys like Calvin Austin, Roman Wilson, and his former Rams teammate Robert Woods.
“It’s a great room. Super competitive,” he said. “Robert Woods, I’ve been with him in L.A. and again in Houston. Scottie Miller Super Bowl champ. We bounce ideas off each other.”
I toss it out the Benny Skow, that he’s also a Super Bowl Champion.
Smirking again, “I’m a Super Bowl champ too,” Skowronek smiles.
No one should. He’s not the loudest. Not the flashiest. But he’s that rare kind of player who football purists and maybe even cult film fans can rally around.
Did the Big Lebowski or ‘The Dude’ play wideout? Maybe not.
But Benny Skow does. And he plays it like very few do because very few have the dirtbag persona when most are divas.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
