Ben Braunecker

Last updated

Ben Braunecker
Ben Braunecker 2018.png
Braunecker in 2018
No. 84, 82
Position: Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1994-02-07) February 7, 1994 (age 30)
Ferdinand, Indiana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:247 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High school: Forest Park
(Ferdinand, Indiana)
College: Harvard
Undrafted: 2016
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:13
Receiving yards:142
Receiving touchdowns:1
Player stats at PFR

Ben Braunecker (born February 7, 1994) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Harvard. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2016, and played for the team through 2019.

Contents

Early years

Braunecker attended Forest Park High School in Indiana, where he played for the football team on offense, defense and special teams. He started for three years and was team captain for his senior year. In his high school career, Braunecker recorded 51 receptions for 1,254 yards and 16 touchdowns. As a return specialist, he had 29 kickoff returns for 1,005 yards, while on defense, he recorded 101 tackles and seven interceptions. He was twice named All-State (Honorable Mention); he was the Southwestern Indiana MVP and twice All-Conference. [1]

He was also a IHSAA State Finalist in the discus and shot put. [2]

College career

In his senior year, Braunecker was named a consensus All-American as he was selected to the Associated Press Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-America first-team, the Walter Camp FCS All-America team, the STATS FCS All-America first-team, American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches' All-America team and the College Sporting News Fabulous Fifty FCS All-America team. He was also honored on the College Sports Madness All-America first-team and the InstantScouting FCS All-America team. He was also named first-team All-Ivy League when he recorded 48 catches for 850 yards and eight touchdowns. He finished his college career with 68 receptions for 1,168 yards and 10 touchdowns. Harvard won 3 Ivy League titles during his career, compiling a 24–4 conference record and an overall record of 36–4. [3]

Braunecker majored in molecular and cell biology. [4]

Professional career

Braunecker attended the NFL Combine and was the fastest in the 60-yard shuttle, was ranked second in the vertical leap, broad jump, three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle and had the third-highest repetitions in the bench press of all tight ends. [3] He was projected by many analysts to be a fourth to sixth round draft selection. NFLDraftScout.com ranked him the sixth best tight end out of the 102 available. He attended Harvard's Pro Day and was able to beat his combine time and numbers. Braunecker chose to stand on his combine numbers for his 3-cone drill, short shuttle, and bench press. [5]

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 3+38 in
(1.91 m)
250 lb
(113 kg)
32+34 in
(0.83 m)
9+12 in
(0.24 m)
4.73 s1.63 s2.74 s4.20 s6.90 s35+12 in
(0.90 m)
10 ft 1 in
(3.07 m)
20 reps
All values from NFL Combine [6]

Braunecker went undrafted in the 2016 NFL draft and was signed by the Chicago Bears after the draft. [7]

He entered training camp battling for a backup tight end position with Khari Lee, Tony Moeaki, Rob Housler, and Greg Scruggs. Braunecker struggled with a severe ankle injury during the 2016 offseason and missed the entire preseason. [8] He was released on September 3, [9] but was signed to the practice squad the following day. [10] Going into the regular season, he was the Bears' third option at tight end, behind Zach Miller and Logan Paulsen. On October 1, 2016, he was promoted to the active roster and was officially named the Bears' third tight end on their depth chart behind veterans Miller and Paulsen. [11] He made his first NFL start against the Green Bay Packers on October 20. [12]

On September 3, 2017, Braunecker was waived by the Bears and was signed to the practice squad the next day. [13] [14] He was promoted to the active roster on November 7, 2017. [15]

In 2018, Braunecker played in 15 games with two starts, recording three receptions for 42 yards and three special teams tackles. [16]

On March 11, 2019, Braunecker signed a two-year contract extension with the Bears. [17] On November 10, 2019, he scored his first career NFL touchdown on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell Trubisky against the Detroit Lions. [4] He was placed on injured reserve on December 15, 2019. [18]

Braunecker was released by the Bears on July 23, 2020. [19]

Personal life

Braunecker is married to former University of Notre Dame swimmer Sydney Golic; she is the daughter of former NFL player Mike Golic. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Spaeth</span> American football player (born 1983)

Matt Spaeth is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, where he was twice named first-team All-Big Ten, once a first-team All-American, and the 2006 winner of the John Mackey Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Olsen (American football)</span> American football player and sportscaster (born 1985)

Gregory Walter Olsen is an American football sportscaster and former tight end who played for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. Olsen also played for the Carolina Panthers, with whom he made three Pro Bowls, and became the first tight end in NFL history to record three consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. Olsen played his final season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2020. Following his retirement Olsen joined Fox as a sportscaster and is formerly the lead color commentator for the NFL on Fox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kellen Davis</span> American football player (born 1985)

Kellen M. Davis is a former American football tight end. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college football at Michigan State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Miller (tight end, born 1984)</span> American football player (born 1984)

Zachary Scott Miller is a former American football tight end. He played quarterback and tight end in college at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Paulsen</span> American football player (born 1987)

Logan Sindre Paulsen is a former American football tight end. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at UCLA. Before that, he played at Chaminade College Preparatory High School in West Hills, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dion Sims</span> American football player (born 1991)

Dion Sims is a former American football tight end. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft. He played college football at Michigan State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trey Burton</span> American football player (born 1991)

Lawrence Godfrey "Trey" Burton III is a former American football tight end. He played college football for the University of Florida and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2014, and he won Super Bowl LII with the team in his final season with the Eagles, including helping execute the Philly Special. Burton also played for the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse James (tight end)</span> American football player (born 1994)

Jesse Dylan James is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Penn State, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MyCole Pruitt</span> American football player (born 1992)

MyCole Pruitt is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Southern Illinois, where he was a two-time first-team FCS All-American. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round, 143rd overall of the 2015 NFL draft.

James O'Shaughnessy is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft with the 173rd overall pick. He played college football at Illinois State from 2010 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khari Lee</span> American football player (born 1992)

Khari Lee is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Bowie State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Butt</span> American football player (born 1995)

Jonathan Duane "Jake" Butt is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Michigan. He was selected as a two-time All-American and was a two-time Big Ten Tight End of the Year. Also winning the Ozzie Newsome Award, John Mackey Award and the Senior CLASS Award. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Shaheen</span> American football player (born 1994)

Adam Shaheen is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Ashland, and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He is the highest draft pick from Ashland in the modern era of the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarik Cohen</span> American football player (born 1995)

Tarik Cohen is a former American football running back who played for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, and the New York Jets. He played college football at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Saubert</span> American football player (born 1994)

Eric Saubert is an American football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Drake, and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

N'Keal Harry is a Vincentian-Canadian American football tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, where he twice received first-team All-Pac-12 honors, and was selected by the New England Patriots as the final first round pick of the 2019 NFL draft. Harry spent his first three seasons with the Patriots before being traded to the Chicago Bears in 2022. He joined the Vikings the following season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Chicago Bears season</span> 100th season in franchise history

The 2019 season was the Chicago Bears' 100th in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Matt Nagy. The season was branded as "Bears100" to celebrate the franchise's centennial, which included a commemorative patch on jerseys and a new throwback uniform.

Thomas R. Sweeney is an American football tight end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Jesper Horsted is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Princeton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cole Kmet</span> American football player (born 1999)

Cole Kmet is an American football tight end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame, and was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

References

  1. "48 Ben Braunecker". Harvard Crimson . Retrieved October 1, 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. "A tale of two passions: Ben Braunecker has a love for football and ... Molecular biology".
  3. 1 2 Clegg, Jonathan (March 1, 2016). "The Best Player at the NFL Combine Went to ... Harvard?". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Stankevitz, JJ (November 10, 2019). "Ben Braunecker's first career touchdown gives Bears much-needed spark". NBC Sports Chicago . Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  5. "Ben Braunecker, DS #6 TE, Harvard: 2016 NFL Draft". nfldraftscout.com. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  6. "NFL Events: Combine Player Profiles – Ben Braunecker". nfl.com. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  7. Jahns, Adam (May 8, 2016). "Get to know the Bears' undrafted free-agent signings". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  8. Campbell, Rich (October 1, 2016). "Bears elevate tight end Ben Braunecker to active roster". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  9. Mayer, Larry (September 3, 2016). "Bears trim 22 to reach 53-man limit". ChicagoBears.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2017.
  10. Mayer, Larry (September 4, 2016). "Bears sign Paulsen, claim 2 off waivers". Chicago Bears . Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  11. Mayer, Larry (October 1, 2016). "Braunecker elevated to active roster". Chicago Bears.
  12. "Ben Braunecker Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  13. Mayer, Larry (September 3, 2017). "Bears claim three players off waivers". ChicagoBears.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  14. Mayer, Larry (September 4, 2017). "Bears sign Jenkins, nine to practice squad". ChicagoBears.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017.
  15. Alper, Josh (November 7, 2017). "Bears promote Ben Braunecker, put Zach Miller on injured reserve". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com.
  16. Mayer, Larry (February 7, 2019). "Bears 2018 position review: Tight end". Chicago Bears . Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  17. Gantt, Darin (March 11, 2019). "Bears sign tight end Ben Braunecker". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  18. Mayer, Larry (December 15, 2019). "Roster moves: Hicks activated, Braunecker to IR". ChicagoBears.com.
  19. Mayer, Larry (July 23, 2020). "Roster Move: Bears release Ben Braunecker". Chicago Bears . Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  20. Hladik, Matt (July 20, 2020). "Mike Golic's Daughter Sydney Announces Engagement To NFL Player". The Spun. Retrieved July 20, 2020.