Ben Leber
Encyclopedia
Ben Leber is an American football
linebacker
for the St. Louis Rams
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers
in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft
. He played college football at Kansas State University
.
He has also played for the Minnesota Vikings
.
teams at Vermillion (S.D.) High School. As a junior, he rushed for 1,404 yards and 18 touchdowns, and notched 1,350 yards in his senior year. That season, he was declared a Parade Magazine
All-America (the only South Dakotan so honored in 1997), an honorable mention All-USA by USA Today
, and was selected to play in the North-South Dakota All-Star game. An excellent student, he was also an Academic All-State selection.
He also went to School in Albia, Iowa
, Leber made the switch to full-time linebacker. A two-time All-Big 12 selection, he finished his college career with 216 tackles, 46 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks. His 216 career tackles were the fifth most in Kansas State history. As a junior, he earned second team all-conference honors. The year later, he was an All-America third-team selection by the Associated Press
, a consensus All-Big 12 Conference
first-team choice, and a team captain. He received a degree in business-general management in 2002.
in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft
. He was an immediate-impact rookie, playing in all 16 games and starting 14 of them. He was selected to both the Pro Football Weekly
and Football Digest
All-Rookie teams, finishing the year with 49 tackles, 5 sacks (third on the team), and 3 forced fumbles (first on the team).
In his second season, Leber started every game at strong side linebacker for the Chargers, notching 75 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 pass defensed, and 1 forced fumble. In his third year, he was an every-game starter for the Chargers, finishing the season with 58 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. The next season, Leber was injured during training camp and again during the season. This led to him losing his starting position to future Pro-Bowler Shawne Merriman
. He finished 2005 with 22 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.
on March 11, 2006. Playing in 15 games, he finished his first season with the team with 46 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 fumble recovery touchdown. The next year was even better—playing in all 16 games, Leber notched 67 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. In 2008, Leber again played the full season, recording 64 tackles, a career-low 1.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions.
. He is the son of Al and Han Leber. His brother, Jason, was an All-American running back at the University of South Dakota
. His wife is named Abby. His hobbies include hunting and fishing.
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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
of 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...
. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
. He played college football at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
.
He has also played for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
Early years
Lining up primarily at running back, Leber was named to several high school All-AmericaAll-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
teams at Vermillion (S.D.) High School. As a junior, he rushed for 1,404 yards and 18 touchdowns, and notched 1,350 yards in his senior year. That season, he was declared a Parade Magazine
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-America (the only South Dakotan so honored in 1997), an honorable mention All-USA by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, and was selected to play in the North-South Dakota All-Star game. An excellent student, he was also an Academic All-State selection.
He also went to School in Albia, Iowa
College career
At Kansas StateKansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
, Leber made the switch to full-time linebacker. A two-time All-Big 12 selection, he finished his college career with 216 tackles, 46 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks. His 216 career tackles were the fifth most in Kansas State history. As a junior, he earned second team all-conference honors. The year later, he was an All-America third-team selection by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, a consensus All-Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
first-team choice, and a team captain. He received a degree in business-general management in 2002.
Pre-draft
San Diego Chargers
Leber was drafted by the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
. He was an immediate-impact rookie, playing in all 16 games and starting 14 of them. He was selected to both the Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
and Football Digest
Football Digest
Football Digest was a sports magazine for fans interested in professional American football, with in-depth coverage of the National Football League...
All-Rookie teams, finishing the year with 49 tackles, 5 sacks (third on the team), and 3 forced fumbles (first on the team).
In his second season, Leber started every game at strong side linebacker for the Chargers, notching 75 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 pass defensed, and 1 forced fumble. In his third year, he was an every-game starter for the Chargers, finishing the season with 58 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. The next season, Leber was injured during training camp and again during the season. This led to him losing his starting position to future Pro-Bowler Shawne Merriman
Shawne Merriman
Shawne DeAndre Merriman is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted 12th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2005 NFL Draft. On November 2, 2010, the Chargers waived Merriman...
. He finished 2005 with 22 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.
Minnesota Vikings
As an unrestricted free agent, Leber was signed by the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
on March 11, 2006. Playing in 15 games, he finished his first season with the team with 46 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 fumble recovery touchdown. The next year was even better—playing in all 16 games, Leber notched 67 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. In 2008, Leber again played the full season, recording 64 tackles, a career-low 1.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions.
Career statistics
| Season | Team | GP | Tckl | Ast | Total | SCK | INT | INT TD | PD | FF | Fum Rec | Fum TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Kansas State Kansas State University Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States... |
10 | 19.0 | 11 | 30 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | Kansas State | 11 | 35.0 | 23 | 58 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | Kansas State | 13 | 38.0 | 17 | 55 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | Kansas State | 11 | 55.0 | 18 | 73 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 45 | 147.0 | 69 | 216 | 13.0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
| Season | Team | GP | Tckl | Ast | Total | SCK | INT | INT TD | PD | FF | Fum Rec | Fum TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
16 | 41.0 | 9 | 50 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | San Diego Chargers | 16 | 69.0 | 11 | 80 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | San Diego Chargers | 16 | 49.0 | 11 | 60 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 | San Diego Chargers | 9 | 18.0 | 4 | 22 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 | Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
15 | 34.0 | 12 | 46 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2007 | Minnesota Vikings | 16 | 52.0 | 15 | 67 | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | Minnesota Vikings | 16 | 47.0 | 17 | 64 | 1.5 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | Minnesota Vikings | 16 | 38 | 8 | 46 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | Minnesota Vikings | 16 | 35 | 11 | 46 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 88 | 382.0 | 99 | 481 | 24.0 | 5 | 0 | 28 | 12 | 4 | 1 | |
Career Playoff Statistics
| Season | Team | GP | Tckl | Ast | Total | SCK | INT | INT TD | PD | FF | Fum Rec | Fum TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | San Diego Chargers | 1 | 5.0 | 2 | 7 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | Minnesota Vikings | 1 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 2 | 9.0 | 2 | 11 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Personal
Leber was raised in Vermillion, South DakotaVermillion, South Dakota
Vermillion is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the tenth largest city in the state. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 10,571. Vermillion lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River.The area has been home to...
. He is the son of Al and Han Leber. His brother, Jason, was an All-American running back at the University of South Dakota
University of South Dakota
The University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current...
. His wife is named Abby. His hobbies include hunting and fishing.
External links
- http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=63&p=8&c=1&nid=2451843
- http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/302071