15 questions with ... Jake Bingham, a Penn football sophomore

Through his sophomore season, offensive lineman Jake Bingham has established himself as the stalwart center for Penn football, developing into one of the Ivy League’s premier offensive linemen. The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with Bingham to ask him 15 questions about his journey to Penn, the season thus far, and what he looks forward to the most the rest of the year.

1. Can you introduce yourself?

I’m Jake Bingham, and I play football for the Quakers. I’m from Virginia Beach, Va. but actually did my last several years of high school in Princeton, N.J., so I’m currently with two of my teammates who I played with in high school. I’m majoring in finance and management in Wharton.

2. Who is a role model in your life that you look up to?

A role model that has been there my whole life is my dad. He was someone who was always hard-working. He didn’t come from much early on, and just to see himself build so much over the course of his life [showed] me the benefits of working hard. He also taught me the value of being respectful of other people and how that makes you a more well-rounded person. He played football in high school, too, so he got me into the sport and onto this path. 

3. Why did you choose Penn?

It was always both the academics and football side for me. My several final options were all Ivy League schools. I was fortunate enough to get a spot in Wharton, which really influenced my decision academically. You can’t really beat Wharton for the business side of things. Football-wise, I really gelled with the coaching staff, and the culture was something I [have] wanted to be a part of since day one.

4. Coming from Virginia, how was the transition to Penn?

Looking at Philadelphia, one of the things that was a lot different at first was just being in the city. Coming from a suburban area, I’ve really learned to embrace the busy city, the food, and all the things to do. Going to a big prep school in New Jersey for football, I think that it actually had a pretty similar mix to Penn [in that] you will see kids from Europe, some from Asia, and just people from different backgrounds. What was really unique coming to Penn [was] meeting all the high-achieving students in their different fields.

5. How do you balance athletic commitments as a Division I athlete along with a rigorous academic workload?

During my freshman year, it took a little bit of trial and error. With football being a fall sport, you are kind of thrown into the thick of it right away. I think at the end of the day what has helped me is that I blocked out my days to have the athletic side of things predominantly in the morning and in the afternoon, I block out time ... to get my work done. On days like Sundays where I have less athletic commitments, I really try to knock it out and get ahead of things.

6. What is your pre-game hype song?

“Dreams and Nightmares” by Meek Mill. That’s the one I like to listen to before I head out.

7. What is the most memorable game you have been a part of so far and why?

[Last weekend at Yale] would be the most memorable game for me. My best friend the past couple of years [Michael Gavin] came to Penn with us, and right before freshman year, he got cancer, and he passed away last week. So I wore his jersey during the game, and I had the best game I’ve played so far at Penn. I got to perform for him and represent his number well. That meant a lot to me.

8. What is your favorite stadium to play in and why?

That would obviously be [Franklin Field]. During the recruiting process, it caught my attention right away. I saw all the Ivy League stadiums, but something about the Frank was just really different. I think just the history and all the NFL games that have been played there. I would see photos of the Frank in the past when it was just full, and it would look spectacular. It would be amazing if one day we could have it like that again. It’s just a great place to play. It’s a marvel, it’s beautiful.

9. What game are you most looking forward to as the season progresses?

If I had to pick one, it would be our last game against Princeton. That one is a little bit of rivalry for me because I went to high school in the town of Princeton. I had a lot of interactions with their coaches and their staff. In the end, there wasn’t a great connection and there was a little bit of bad blood between us. That’s our natural rival to begin with. We upset them last year, and hopefully that will be the game where we can close out an Ivy League championship.

10. Who is your favorite NFL team and why?

I’m a Patriots fan. The closest team to where I grew up was the Commanders, but they are not very good right now. My uncle was always a very passionate Patriots fan. When I was little, they were good, and it just caught on and I have been a Patriots fan ever since. We are going through some tough times right now. I’ve been to a couple of games and just trying to stick with them.

11. Who is your favorite NFL player and why?

My favorite player is J.J. Watt. Not a lot of people know that he was a walk-on in college and I think it’s inspirational to see how he has grown over his career in football. He does a lot in the community and out in the world. My goal is to get to that level at some point in my career, and I want to be like those guys and give back. Guys like that are very inspiring.

12. Do you have a pre-game ritual before games?

I like to keep poise and just trust myself. I’m just listening to music and trying to lock in most of the day. Something cool that I do is that my dad comes to all the away games and so he will usually sneak into the locker room. It’s a cool way to say hello and connect. Other than that, during warmups, I want to [hug my teammates] and celebrate that unity.

13. What is your favorite part about the city of Philadelphia?

The sports are great, but the number one thing has to be the food, [especially] with all the diversity and different restaurants in Center City. There are so many great places, and on the weekends, my buddies and I go out and find the best food. There are different cultural options and so many things to try. It is one of my favorite parts of being at Penn.

14. What's your favorite place to eat near campus?

After games, we will usually meet up with parents at New Deck Tavern, a little Irish pub. It’s always a good time as they have burgers and a lot of general American food. It’s just kind of a good fun environment.

15. What would you say is an obstacle that you have faced in your time in Penn football?

Dealing with the loss of my friend Michael has definitely been fresh on my mind a lot in the past couple of weeks. Overcoming that and not letting it slow us down has made our team work harder in honor of him. It is definitely a big challenge and something you have to stick together with people and not just put it on yourself. It will continue to be an obstacle for us for the rest of the season, but it gives us a little extra motivation.