Ben Patrick
Encyclopedia
Ben Patrick is an American football
tight end
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals
in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Duke and Delaware.
He was also a member of the New York Giants
.
in Savannah, Georgia
, and was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball.
, where he red shirted
his first year and then went on to play three seasons. After earning a degree in African American studies, he transferred to the University of Delaware for his final season of college eligibility in 2006. With the Blue Hens, Ben went on to lead Division I-AA tight ends in receiving with 64 catches for 639 yards and six touchdowns. He was an all Atlantic 10 Conference first team pick and was named a first-team All-America, He also became the first Blue Hens player invited to the Hula Bowl
. Patrick was a semi-finalist for the John Mackey Award
given to the top tight end position player in the nation. At the end of the season, he was rated the best tight end prospect in the NCAA Division 1-AA ranks by The NFL Draft Report in his senior season.
. On September 4, 2007, Patrick was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad after being cut from the roster less than a week earlier. He was promoted to the active roster on October 29. Patrick finished the 2007 season playing in 8 games with 3 games started with 7 receptions for 73 yards, including a long of 21 yards, for two touchdowns. During the 2008 regular season Patrick caught 11 passes for 104 yards, but no touchdowns. In Super Bowl XLIII
, against the Pittsburgh Steelers
, Patrick caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kurt Warner
in the second quarter.
. He announced his retirement on August 6. On September 16, Patrick un-retired and was reinstated by the NFL. He became a free agent, since the Giants released him.
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...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
who is currently 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....
. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He played college football
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...
at Duke and Delaware.
He was also a member of the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Patrick attended Herschel V. Jenkins High SchoolJenkins High School
Herschel V. Jenkins High School is a public high school located in Savannah, Georgia. A part of the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, it is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Georgia Accrediting Commission....
in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, and was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball.
College career
Patrick began his college career at Duke UniversityDuke 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...
, where he red shirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his first year and then went on to play three seasons. After earning a degree in African American studies, he transferred to the University of Delaware for his final season of college eligibility in 2006. With the Blue Hens, Ben went on to lead Division I-AA tight ends in receiving with 64 catches for 639 yards and six touchdowns. He was an all Atlantic 10 Conference first team pick and was named a first-team All-America, He also became the first Blue Hens player invited to the Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
. Patrick was a semi-finalist for the John Mackey Award
John Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end.The award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey....
given to the top tight end position player in the nation. At the end of the season, he was rated the best tight end prospect in the NCAA Division 1-AA ranks by The NFL Draft Report in his senior season.
Arizona Cardinals
Patrick was selected by the Cardinals with the 25th pick in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. On September 4, 2007, Patrick was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad after being cut from the roster less than a week earlier. He was promoted to the active roster on October 29. Patrick finished the 2007 season playing in 8 games with 3 games started with 7 receptions for 73 yards, including a long of 21 yards, for two touchdowns. During the 2008 regular season Patrick caught 11 passes for 104 yards, but no touchdowns. In Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
, against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, Patrick caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
in the second quarter.
New York Giants
On August 1, 2011, Patrick signed a one-year contract with the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He announced his retirement on August 6. On September 16, Patrick un-retired and was reinstated by the NFL. He became a free agent, since the Giants released him.