Ben Gardner

Last updated

Ben Gardner
2013 Ben Gardner Washington at Stanford Cardinal.jpg
Gardner with Stanford in 2013
No. 71, 49
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1991-04-29) April 29, 1991 (age 33)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High school: Homestead
(Mequon, Wisconsin)
College: Stanford
NFL draft: 2014  / Round: 7 / Pick: 231
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Player stats at PFR

Benjamin David Gardner (born April 29, 1991) is a former American football linebacker. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford. He was also a member of the San Diego Chargers.

Contents

Early life

Gardner graduated in 2009 from Homestead High School. As a senior in 2008–09, Gardner was a team captain and defensive end on the football team which won the Wisconsin Division I state championship.

He received numerous top honors including 2008 Associated Press 1st-team All-State; [1] 2008 WFCA 1st-Team All-State; [2] 2008 all-North Shore Conference First; [2] and 2008 North Shore Conference Defensive Player of the Year. [2]

College career

Stanford Cardinal football is known for its 3–4 defense schemes, more typically seen in the NFL. Gardner was a three-year starter at defensive end in the Stanford 3–4 system, which was ranked among the nation's top defensive units. [3]

Gardner did not see field action in his first year (2009). As a sophomore or "redshirt freshman" in 2010, Gardner saw action in 11 games on special teams and as a second-string defensive end. He logged three tackles, including two tackles for loss and one sack. [4]

In 2011, he started 12 of 13 games, including the Fiesta Bowl vs. 13th nationally ranked Oklahoma state. Gardner recorded 35 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He was named to the All-Pac-12 Conference 2nd Team, [5] and received Stanford's Deswarte-Eller Award honoring the most outstanding (redshirt) sophomore. Gardner ranked 13th in the Pac-12 in tackles for loss per game, and 16th in sacks per game. [2] He had a season-high five tackles and one sack vs. California and a season-high 2.5 tackles for loss vs. Arizona.

Gardner started all 14 games of the 2012 season, including the Pac-12 Championship Game vs. UCLA and the 2013 Rose Bowl vs. Wisconsin. Gardner tied for second on the Stanford team with 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. [2] He also ranked among the nation's top 75 in both categories. [2] Against #2-ranked USC, Gardner won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors for registering 6 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack, holding USC to 26 rushing yards. [6] Playing at #7-ranked Notre Dame, Gardner made two solo tackles, one fumble recovery, and one sack which caused a fumble that was recovered for a Stanford touchdown. [7] Gardner's season also included 49 tackles, 5 passes broken up, and 2 quarterback hurries.

He chose to return to Stanford for a fifth year in 2013, rather than enter the NFL Draft, but it ended early because of a torn pectoral muscle he suffered against Oregon State University. [8]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Gardner was selected in the seventh round (231 overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. [9] On August 26, he was placed on the injured reserve list after having surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left shoulder. The next year, the team brought in new talent at the defensive end position (Greg Hardy, Randy Gregory, Ryan Russell) and he was eventually waived on September 5, 2015. [10]

San Diego Chargers

On November 4, 2015, Gardner was signed to the San Diego Chargers practice squad and switched to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. On September 3, 2016, he was cut by the Chargers. [11] The next day, he was signed to the Chargers' practice squad. [12] He was released on October 4. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La'Roi Glover</span> American football player and coach (born 1974)

La'Roi Damon Glover is an American former football defensive tackle who is the defensive line coach for the St. Louis BattleHawks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs. Glover enjoyed a 13-year career in which he made six-consecutive Pro Bowls and was a four-time All-Pro selection. He spent five seasons with the New Orleans Saints (1997-2001), four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys (2002–2005) and finished his playing career with the St. Louis Rams (2006–2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeMarcus Ware</span> American football player (born 1982)

DeMarcus Omar Ware is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Troy Trojans and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft. After spending nine seasons with the Cowboys, Ware departed in 2013 as the franchise's all-time leader in quarterback sacks with 117. Ware then played three seasons for the Denver Broncos, with whom he won Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers. After the 2016 season with the Broncos, he announced his retirement from the NFL. In 2017, he signed a one-day contract with Dallas to retire as a Cowboy. In 2018, the Broncos hired Ware as a pass-rush consultant. In 2023, Ware was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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

Brandon Jerome Mebane is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He attended Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. He played college football for the California Golden Bears. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft. He also played in the NFL for the San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers.

Sean Lissemore is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. He was selected by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at the College of William & Mary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melvin Ingram</span> American football player (born 1989)

Melvin Ingram III is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at South Carolina, and earned All-American honors. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round with the 18th overall pick of the 2012 NFL draft. He has also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trent Murphy</span> American football player (born 1990)

Trenton Allen Murphy is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at Stanford, and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. He also played for the Buffalo Bills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jahleel Addae</span> American football player (born 1990)

Jahleel Addae is a former American football safety. He played college football for Central Michigan University, where he was a captain and three-time All Mid-American Conference player. He was signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2013.

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

Caraun Reid is a former American football defensive tackle. He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Princeton. He was also a member of the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, and DC Defenders.

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

Eric-Nathan Marvin Kendricks is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins. As a senior in 2014, he won the Butkus Award as the nation's top collegiate linebacker. Kendricks was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft and later played for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Malik Terrell Jefferson is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Texas. As a senior at Poteet High School in Mesquite, Texas, Jefferson won the 2014 Butkus Award given to the best linebacker in high school. He has been a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, and Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Covington</span> Canadian American football player (born 1993)

Christian Coral Cleveland Covington is a Canadian professional gridiron football defensive end for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Rice and was selected by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Vaughters</span> American gridiron football player (born 1993)

James Alan Vaughters is an American professional football linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Stanford. Vaughters was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He has also been a member of the New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers.

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

Vidauntae "Taco" Charlton is an American football defensive end for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Michigan and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and San Francisco 49ers.

Jalen Jelks is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Banogu</span> Nigerian-born American football player (born 1996)

Benjamin Chinomso Banogu is a Nigerian professional American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at Louisiana-Monroe and TCU.

Bradlee Joseph Ioane Anae is an American football linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osa Odighizuwa</span> Nigerian American football player (born 1998)

Osawaru Odighizuwa is an American football defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, earning first-team all-conference honors in the Pac-12. He was selected by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simi Fehoko</span> American football player (born 1997)

Simione Tufui Fehoko is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of 2021 NFL Draft.

Nahshon Wright is an American football cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oregon State.

Tuli Tuipulotu is an American football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He was named the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American in 2022. He played college football at USC.

References

  1. ↑ "AP announces Wisconsin high school football all-state team". ABC News 9.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ben Gardner profile" . Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Top defensive units". Scout.com.
  4. ↑ "Ben Gardner stats" . Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Coaches All-Pac-12 teams announced" . Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Pac-12 players of the week" . Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Turnovers alarming, but still work in progress" . Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  8. ↑ "NFL Draft profile: Ben Gardner" . Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Cowboys Go All Defense With Five Seventh-Rounders". Dallascowboys.com. May 10, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  10. ↑ Helman, David (September 5, 2015). "Vaughan, Showers Among Notable Cuts As Cowboys Meet 53-Man Roster Limit". DallasCowboys.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  11. ↑ Henne, Ricky (September 3, 2016). "Chargers Cut Down Roster to 53". Chargers.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Chargers Announce 2016 Practice Squad". Chargers.com. Archived from the original on November 26, 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  13. ↑ Henne, Ricky (October 4, 2016). "Bolts Add Trio to Practice Squad". Chargers.com. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.