Lewis Vincent Benfatti (born March 9, 1971) is an American former professional football player. The 6' 4", 278 lb., defensive tackle was the third round pick (#94 overall) of the New York Jets in the 1994 NFL draft. He played three seasons (1994–1996) with the Jets. Benfatti was named All-American and a Lombardi Award finalist while at Penn State University. A team captain for the Nittany Lions, he played in the 1994 East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl games.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication from Penn State in 1993. Benfatti was an All-State football player and heavyweight wrestler at Morris Knolls High School in Denville Township, New Jersey.Lange, Randy. "CRUSHING HALT TO JETS CAREER: BROKEN NECK KOS BENFATTI", The Record (Bergen County), April 8, 1997. Accessed August 2, 2007. "Benfatti hides his turmoil well behind a calm demeanor that has been his trademark at Morris Knolls High School, at Penn State, and as a third-round draft pick of the Jets in 1994."Lou Benfatti , Morris Knolls High School. Accessed August 2, 2007.
Benfatti is the principal of Hopatcong Middle School, in Hopatcong, New Jersey.
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