Benjamin Jeffrey Utecht (born June 30, 1981) is a former American football player and current singer.[1] He was a tight end for the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2004 after playing college football at Minnesota. He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI over the Chicago Bears.
 Utecht at the 2013 Minnesota Gophers Alumni Flag Football Game | |||||||||
| No. 47, 81, 86 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | June 30, 1981 Rochester, Minnesota, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 251 lb (114 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Hastings (Hastings, Minnesota) | ||||||||
| College: | Minnesota (1999–2003) | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2004 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Benjamin Utecht | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Benjamin Jeffrey Utecht |
| Origin | Rochester, Minnesota, United States |
| Genres | Classical Pop/Vocal |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Stylos Records |
Early life
editUtecht graduated from Hastings Senior High School in Hastings, Minnesota where he helped lead the Raiders to a State Semi-Final appearance.
College career
editUtecht became a four-year starter at the University of Minnesota, starting 35 of 44 games and playing in the Music City Bowl.
Professional career
editIndianapolis Colts
editHe signed as a free agent with the Colts on April 30, 2004. Utecht did not see much action in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. His best season was the 2006 season, with 37 receptions for 377 yards. In the 2006 postseason, Utecht had 5 receptions for 41 yards. He would then go on to help the Colts win Super Bowl XLI. In 2007, he caught 31 receptions for 364 yards and a touchdown. Utecht became a restricted free agent in the 2008 offseason.
Cincinnati Bengals
editOn March 14, the Cincinnati Bengals signed him to an offer sheet believed to be worth $9 million over three seasons. The Colts had seven days to match the contract and retain Utecht, but the March 21 deadline passed and Utecht became a member of the Bengals. Prior to the start of the 2009 season, Utecht suffered a concussion during practice, which was aired on the HBO Television show "Hard Knocks". On August 31, 2009, Utecht was placed on the injured reserve list for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was released on November 17 with an injury settlement.
Receiving statistics
| Season | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receptions | 0 | 3 | 37 | 31 | 16 |
| Yards | 0 | 59 | 377 | 364 | 123 |
| Touchdowns | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Singing career
editFollowing his fifth concussion, Utecht ended his football career to focus on a second career in music. He maintained an interest in performing throughout high school, college and his professional football career and had intended to pursue a musical career after football. Utecht has recorded several albums including a Christmas album for which he was nominated for a 2012 Dove Award. He also went on tour in January 2012 and was featured on the cover of the March/April 2012 issue of Making Music Magazine.[1]
Personal life
editThe son of a Methodist Minister,[2] Utecht recorded an Inspirational music album, released on May 5, 2009, on Sandi Patty's Stylos label.[3]
His wife, Karyn (Stordahl) of Owatonna, Minnesota, also attended the University of Minnesota and was Miss Minnesota, 2005. Ben and Karyn are parents to four daughters.[4][5]
Traumatic brain injury
editUtecht, who suffered five known concussions during his football career, was already experiencing memory loss by late 2011, when he was 30 years old.[6] Utecht released his single "You Will Always Be My Girls" in 2014 dedicated to his family in form of a letter to his wife Karyn and his daughters, as Utecht fears that one day that his brain injuries will lead him to not know them.[7]
Other media
editUtecht also wrote the book Counting the Days Until My Mind Slips Away.[8]
Discography
edit(credited as Benjamin Utecht)
Albums
edit- Ben Utecht
- Man Up
- Two of Hearts: Cherished Love Song Duets (jointly with Anne Cochran)
- Christmas Hope: An Inspirational Holiday Collection
Singles
edit- "You Will Always Be My Girls" (2014)
References
edit- ^ a b Making Music: Ben Utecht, Former Colts Tight End, Turned Professional Singer Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ James, Tom (December 22, 2007). "Singing a Passion for Colts' Punter, Tight End". Tribune-Star. Retrieved March 29, 2009.
- ^ "Charley Walters: Tayler Hill Harrows Her College Choices Down to Final Four". St. Paul Pioneer Press. www.twincities.com. March 24, 2009. Retrieved March 29, 2009.
- ^ "Benjamin Utecht". benutecht.com. March 24, 2009. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011.
- ^ "the twins have arrived! Every one is healthy! Katriel Beverlee and Amy Joan, what an amazing experience!". twitter.com. November 9, 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
- ^ Brady, Erik. "Ex-NFL player Benjamin Utecht battling memory loss".
- ^ Scoggins, Chip (June 28, 2014). "Utecht writes songs for daughters". Star-Tribune. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ ABC News (December 18, 2015), 'Concussion' and the Serious Impact of Repeated Head Trauma | ABC News, retrieved October 4, 2017