Ben Bennett
Encyclopedia
Ben Bennett is an American football
coach
most recently the head coach
of the af2
's Austin Wranglers. He has been involved in professional football as a player and coach since 1984. After a successful college career at Duke University
, Bennett played in the National Football League
(NFL), the United States Football League
(USFL), the Arena Football League
(AFL), and the World League of American Football
(WLAF). He coached in the AFL and af2. He was inducted into the Arena Football Hall of Fame as a player in 2000.
at Peterson High School in Sunnyvale, California where he set 18 school and 9 Santa Clara Valley Athletic League records and was the captain of the senior team.
, setting three NCAA freshman records by completing 38 of 62 passes for 469 yards. Finished the season completing 174 of 330 passes for 2,050 yards and 11 TDs.
During his sophomore season in 1981, he injured his shoulder during the season opener and missed the next three games. Bennett punted
against University of South Carolina
twice for an average of 41 yards. He came back against Virginia Tech
and completed 9 of 16 passes for 113 yards with one TD. He had his best games against Maryland
(31 of 46 for 397 yards and 2 TDs) and Clemson University
(17 of 25 for 243 yards and one TD). In five games, he completed 75 of 132 passes for 994 yards with 4 TDs.
As a junior in 1982, become the first player in the ACC in 30 years to pass for over 3,000 yards with 3,033. Chosen as the ACC Player of the Year and selected as the All-ACC QB. He set numerous records, including ACC career marks for most passing yards (6,528), most passes attempted (906), most passes completed (520), and most TD passes (38). He was named Sports Illustrated
's Offensive Player of the Week following the season finale against University of North Carolina
while passing for 273 yards, completing 25 of 34 passes, with one TD and no interceptions. In the 4th quarter against Navy
, he completed an NCAA record 21 passes with 3TDs. He threw at least one TD pass in every game. Bennett had a completion percentage of 63.1 and a passing efficiency rating
of 142.5.
Bennett completed his collegiate career
as the top passer in the history of NCAA
Division I-A football with the most passes attempted (1,375), most passes completed (820), and the most yardage (9,614). Record for passes attempted and yards surpassed marks set by John Elway
and Jim McMahon
. Bennett was the first quarterback to run the "Fun & Gun" offense designed by Steve Spurrier
, who was then the offensive coordinator
at Duke University. He set seven NCAA, 15 ACC
, and 42 school records while at Duke.
During his senior season in 1983, completed 174 of 330 attempts for 2,050 yards and 11 TDs with a completion percentage of 52.7 and averaged 186.4 yards per game.
in the 1984 NFL Draft
and was waived during preseason. He was selected by the Jacksonville Bulls
of the United States Football League
in the 1984 territorial draft, signed and appeared in 2 games. He completed 7 of 13 passes for 113 yards with one TD and no interceptions. He was released by the Bulls in training on February 7, 1985.
He signed as a free agent
with the Atlanta Falcons but later released during preseason.
He signed as a free agent by the Houston Oilers
in 1986 and later waived during training camp.
Bennett signed as a strike replacement player by the Dallas Cowboys
on October 3, 1987 and released three days later. He was claimed on waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals
on October 7, 1987 and remained on the roster until being released on October 19, 1987. He played in one game, completing 2 of 6 passes for 25 yards with one interception.
He played with the Chicago Bruisers
of the Arena Football League for the entire 1988 season
where he finished the season completing 172 of 323 passes for 2,304 yards with 49 TDs and 13 interceptions. He was named First Team All-Arena team at QB and was also named the league’s Most Valuable Player. He signed with the Chicago Bears
on November 29, 1988 and was active for two games, but did not play.
Bennett was with the Bruisers for the 1989 season
until the team suspended operations. During the shortened season, he completed 69 of 127 passes for 808 yards with 14 TDs and 5 interceptions.
Bennett signed with the Dallas Texans
of the Arena Football League in 1990 and appeared in all 8 games where he led the team to ArenaBowl IV
. During the season, he completed 115 of 220 attempts for 1,149 yards, 24 TDs and 15 interceptions. He was named Second Team All-Arena team at QB.
In 1991, he started the year by playing for the Sacramento Surge
of the World League of American Football after being selected in the first round of the year’s draft.
He was then signed by the expansion Orlando Predators
of the Arena Football League
. In 1991, he completed 42 of 81 passes for 540 yards with 6 TDs and 2 interceptions.
In 1992, he completed 145 of 264 passes for 2,092 yards with 41 TDs and 10 interceptions. The greatest feat of his career the "Miracle Minute", an historic comeback in a game against the Detroit Drive on June 19. In that game, he threw two touchdown passes and two 2-point conversions in the final 49 seconds of the game, all to Barry Wagner
. Wagner then got a game-winning safety, the Predators coming back from a 42-32 deficit to win, 50-49. Bennett led the Predators to ArenaBowl VI
, where they were beaten by the Drive.
In 1993, he completed 180 of 340 yards for 2,515 yards with 50 TDs and 10 interceptions. In 1994, he completed 166 of 245 passes for 2,211 yards with 45 TDs and 9 interceptions. In 1995, he completed 91 of 149 passes for 1,111 yards with 20 TDs and 7 interceptions. For both the 1993 and 1994 season, Bennett was named First Team All-Arena team at QB. He would also lead the Predators to a total of three ArenaBowls, losing all three.
For the 1996 season, Bennett played for the San Jose SaberCats
where he completed 26 of 55 passes for 376 yards with 4 TDs and 4 interceptions.
For the 1997 season, Bennett played for the Portland Forest Dragons
and completed 63 of 124 passes for 792 yards with 14 TDs and 6 interceptions.
During his AFL playing career, he made five ArenaBowl
appearances and was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2000.
(AFL, 2001), the Greensboro Prowlers
(af2, 2000), and the Milwaukee Mustangs
(AFL, 1998).
Bennett built and led the Florida Firecats of the af2 to two ArenaCup
championship games during the 2002 and 2004 seasons, winning the 2004 ArenaCup championship. In 2005, he transformed the Manchester Wolves
from a 5-11 team in 2004 into the East Division champion in his first season. He guided the Wolves to a franchise-best 12-win season, finishing 12-5 overall. The team’s season also included a 10-game win streak and a trip to the second round of the af2 playoffs.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
most recently the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
's Austin Wranglers. He has been involved in professional football as a player and coach since 1984. After a successful college career at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, Bennett played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL), the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
(USFL), the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
(AFL), and the World League of American Football
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
(WLAF). He coached in the AFL and af2. He was inducted into the Arena Football Hall of Fame as a player in 2000.
High school career
Ben Bennett played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Peterson High School in Sunnyvale, California where he set 18 school and 9 Santa Clara Valley Athletic League records and was the captain of the senior team.
College career
As a freshman in 1980, was voted ACC “Rookie of the Year” and twice named the ACC “Offensive Player of the Week”. Best individual game was against Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
, setting three NCAA freshman records by completing 38 of 62 passes for 469 yards. Finished the season completing 174 of 330 passes for 2,050 yards and 11 TDs.
During his sophomore season in 1981, he injured his shoulder during the season opener and missed the next three games. Bennett punted
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
against University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
twice for an average of 41 yards. He came back against Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
and completed 9 of 16 passes for 113 yards with one TD. He had his best games against Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
(31 of 46 for 397 yards and 2 TDs) and Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
(17 of 25 for 243 yards and one TD). In five games, he completed 75 of 132 passes for 994 yards with 4 TDs.
As a junior in 1982, become the first player in the ACC in 30 years to pass for over 3,000 yards with 3,033. Chosen as the ACC Player of the Year and selected as the All-ACC QB. He set numerous records, including ACC career marks for most passing yards (6,528), most passes attempted (906), most passes completed (520), and most TD passes (38). He was named Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
's Offensive Player of the Week following the season finale against University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
while passing for 273 yards, completing 25 of 34 passes, with one TD and no interceptions. In the 4th quarter against Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
, he completed an NCAA record 21 passes with 3TDs. He threw at least one TD pass in every game. Bennett had a completion percentage of 63.1 and a passing efficiency rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 142.5.
Bennett completed his collegiate career
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
as the top passer in the history of NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I-A football with the most passes attempted (1,375), most passes completed (820), and the most yardage (9,614). Record for passes attempted and yards surpassed marks set by John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
and Jim McMahon
Jim McMahon
James Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...
. Bennett was the first quarterback to run the "Fun & Gun" offense designed by Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
, who was then the offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
at Duke University. He set seven NCAA, 15 ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
, and 42 school records while at Duke.
During his senior season in 1983, completed 174 of 330 attempts for 2,050 yards and 11 TDs with a completion percentage of 52.7 and averaged 186.4 yards per game.
Pro career
Ben Bennett was selected in the 6th round by the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1984 NFL Draft
1984 NFL Draft
The 1984 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 1-2, 1984. No teams elected to claim any players in the regular supplemental draft that...
and was waived during preseason. He was selected by the Jacksonville Bulls
Jacksonville Bulls
The Jacksonville Bulls were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were members of the United States Football League during its final two seasons, 1984 and 1985...
of the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
in the 1984 territorial draft, signed and appeared in 2 games. He completed 7 of 13 passes for 113 yards with one TD and no interceptions. He was released by the Bulls in training on February 7, 1985.
He signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the Atlanta Falcons but later released during preseason.
He signed as a free agent by the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
in 1986 and later waived during training camp.
Bennett signed as a strike replacement player by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
on October 3, 1987 and released three days later. He was claimed on waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
on October 7, 1987 and remained on the roster until being released on October 19, 1987. He played in one game, completing 2 of 6 passes for 25 yards with one interception.
He played with the Chicago Bruisers
Chicago Bruisers
The Chicago Bruisers were a charter member of the Arena Football League, playing in the four-team "demonstration season" of 1987. They played their home games in the former Rosemont Horizon, now the Allstate Arena, home of the Chicago Rush.-History:...
of the Arena Football League for the entire 1988 season
1988 Arena Football League season
The 1988 Arena Football League season was the 2nd season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Detroit Drive, who defeated the Chicago Bruisers in ArenaBowl II.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
where he finished the season completing 172 of 323 passes for 2,304 yards with 49 TDs and 13 interceptions. He was named First Team All-Arena team at QB and was also named the league’s Most Valuable Player. He signed with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on November 29, 1988 and was active for two games, but did not play.
Bennett was with the Bruisers for the 1989 season
1989 Arena Football League season
The 1989 Arena Football League season was the 3rd season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Detroit Drive, who defeated the Pittsburgh Gladiators in ArenaBowl III.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
until the team suspended operations. During the shortened season, he completed 69 of 127 passes for 808 yards with 14 TDs and 5 interceptions.
Bennett signed with the Dallas Texans
Dallas Texans (Arena)
The Dallas Texans was an Arena Football League team that played from 1990 to 1993.-History:The team was based in Dallas, Texas. They played their home games in the Reunion Arena, which they shared with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. The team made the ArenaBowl their...
of the Arena Football League in 1990 and appeared in all 8 games where he led the team to ArenaBowl IV
ArenaBowl IV
Arena Bowl '90 was the Arena Football League's fourth Arena Bowl. The game featured the #2 Dallas Texans against the #1 Detroit Drive...
. During the season, he completed 115 of 220 attempts for 1,149 yards, 24 TDs and 15 interceptions. He was named Second Team All-Arena team at QB.
In 1991, he started the year by playing for the Sacramento Surge
Sacramento Surge
The Sacramento Surge was a professional American football team that played in the World League of American Football in 1991 and 1992. The team played its first season at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, and the second season in Hornet Stadium on the Sacramento State University campus. It was owned...
of the World League of American Football after being selected in the first round of the year’s draft.
He was then signed by the expansion Orlando Predators
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...
of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. In 1991, he completed 42 of 81 passes for 540 yards with 6 TDs and 2 interceptions.
In 1992, he completed 145 of 264 passes for 2,092 yards with 41 TDs and 10 interceptions. The greatest feat of his career the "Miracle Minute", an historic comeback in a game against the Detroit Drive on June 19. In that game, he threw two touchdown passes and two 2-point conversions in the final 49 seconds of the game, all to Barry Wagner
Barry Wagner
Barry Wagner is a retired American football player in the Arena Football League for the Orlando Predators with whom he won his first ArenaBowl Championship and the San Jose SaberCats, with whom he won two championships. He also played in the World Indoor Football League as a wide...
. Wagner then got a game-winning safety, the Predators coming back from a 42-32 deficit to win, 50-49. Bennett led the Predators to ArenaBowl VI
ArenaBowl VI
ArenaBowl '92 was the Arena Football League's sixth Arena Bowl. The game featured the #2 Detroit Drive against the #1 Orlando Predators...
, where they were beaten by the Drive.
In 1993, he completed 180 of 340 yards for 2,515 yards with 50 TDs and 10 interceptions. In 1994, he completed 166 of 245 passes for 2,211 yards with 45 TDs and 9 interceptions. In 1995, he completed 91 of 149 passes for 1,111 yards with 20 TDs and 7 interceptions. For both the 1993 and 1994 season, Bennett was named First Team All-Arena team at QB. He would also lead the Predators to a total of three ArenaBowls, losing all three.
For the 1996 season, Bennett played for the San Jose SaberCats
San Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats are a professional arena football team in the Arena Football League. They began play as a 1995 expansion team. They played in the Western Division of the American Conference. Their final coach in the original Arena Football League was Darren Arbet, who will be a part of the...
where he completed 26 of 55 passes for 376 yards with 4 TDs and 4 interceptions.
For the 1997 season, Bennett played for the Portland Forest Dragons
Oklahoma Wranglers
The Oklahoma Wranglers was the final name of a team in the Arena Football League that had previously played as the Memphis Pharaohs and Portland Forest Dragons...
and completed 63 of 124 passes for 792 yards with 14 TDs and 6 interceptions.
During his AFL playing career, he made five ArenaBowl
ArenaBowl
The ArenaBowl is the Arena Football League's championship game. From 1987 to 2004, the ArenaBowl was hosted by either the team with the better regular-season record or the higher seeding in the playoffs. From ArenaBowl XIX in 2005 until ArenaBowl XXII in 2008, the game was played at a neutral site...
appearances and was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2000.
Coaching
In three seasons as a head coach in the af2, Bennett has compiled a record of 36-18 (including playoffs). His win total is the third highest among active coaches and tenth best all-time. Bennett’s coaching resume also includes stints as an assistant with the Florida BobcatsFlorida Bobcats
The Florida Bobcats are a defunct Arena Football League team. They had been previously known as the Sacramento Attack and the Miami Hooters.-Sacramento Attack :...
(AFL, 2001), the Greensboro Prowlers
Greensboro Prowlers
The Greensboro Prowlers is a now-defunct af2 franchise that was one of the league's charter members. The Prowlers had three mediocre seasons before finally getting a decent winning record in their final year...
(af2, 2000), and the Milwaukee Mustangs
Milwaukee Mustangs
The Milwaukee Mustangs were an Arena Football League team. They played from 1994 to 2001 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Bradley Center.-History:The team was founded in 1994 amidst rumors that the Green Bay Packers would soon stop playing games in Milwaukee, something they'd been doing since 1936...
(AFL, 1998).
Bennett built and led the Florida Firecats of the af2 to two ArenaCup
ArenaCup
The ArenaCup is the af2's championship game. For the league's first five years, it was held at the arena of the higher seeded team. However, the 2005 ArenaCup was the first to be played at a neutral site in Bossier City, Louisiana. The 2006 ArenaCup was played in Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San...
championship games during the 2002 and 2004 seasons, winning the 2004 ArenaCup championship. In 2005, he transformed the Manchester Wolves
Manchester Wolves
The Manchester Wolves were a professional arena football team, based at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, which folded at the end of the 2009 season along with the rest of the league...
from a 5-11 team in 2004 into the East Division champion in his first season. He guided the Wolves to a franchise-best 12-win season, finishing 12-5 overall. The team’s season also included a 10-game win streak and a trip to the second round of the af2 playoffs.