#44 Ben Niemann Season 2017-18

Hawk Item – – Moved from outside linebacker to start at middle linebacker vs. Northwestern and responded with 11 tackles . . . completed career with 201 career tackles . . . tied for sixth in the Big Ten with one blocked punt in 2014 . . . one of three true freshmen to see action in 2014 . . . one of five seniors named to 2017 Leadership Group . . . one of seven juniors named to 2016 Leadership Group.

2017 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten for second year . . . Coaches Appreciation Award, defense . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . preseason fourth-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . 2017 – – Started all 13 games . . . collected 80 tackles, including 45 solo stops and 35 assists, with six tackles for loss and one sack . . . recorded one interception and five break-ups, with two forced fumbles and one recovered fumble . . . started at outside linebacker in 24-3 win over Wyoming as defense allowed just 233 yards total offense . . . career-best 13 tackles vs. Wyoming, including six solo stops and seven assists . . . also recorded one shared tackle for loss, one caused fumble and one QB pressure . . . started at outside linebacker in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State . . . five tackles at Iowa State, including two solo stops and three assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 31-14 win over North Texas . . . recorded four tackles vs. North Texas, including three solo stops and one assist, with one tackle for loss and one pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 21-19 loss to #4 Penn State . . . recorded six tackles vs. Penn State, including four solo tackles and two assists, with one tackle for loss . . . started at outside linebacker in 17-10 loss at Michigan State, recording two solo tackles and one QB pressure . . . started at outside linebacker in 45-16 win over Illinois . . . recorded one solo tackle and one assisted tackle, three pass break-ups and one recovered fumble vs. Illinois, the first recovery of his career . . . started at middle linebacker in 17-10 OT loss at Northwestern . . . recorded 11 tackles at Northwestern, including career-high seven solo stops and four assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 17-10 win over Minnesota as defense allowed just 281 yards total offense . . . recorded six tackles vs. Minnesota, including four solo stops and two assists, along with one tackle for loss and one pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 55-24 win over #3 Ohio State . . . seven tackles vs. Ohio State, including five solo stops and two assists . . . one sack and forced fumble vs. Ohio State . . . started at outside linebacker in 38-14 loss at #6 Wisconsin . . . recorded eight tackles at Wisconsin, including four solo stops and four assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 24-15 loss to Purdue . . . eight tackles vs. Purdue, including four solo stops and four assists, along with a shared tackle for loss . . . started at outside linebacker in 56-14 win at Nebraska as defense allowed 67 rushing yards and just 267 yards total offense . . . recorded four tackles at Nebraska, including two solo stops and two assists, along with second career pass interception . . . started at outside linebacker in 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College as defense allowed just 21 net rushing yards and 102 yards total offense in second half . . . four tackles vs. Boston College, including one solo tackle and three assists, to reach 200 career tackles.

2016 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten . . . 2016 – – Started all 13 games . . . recorded 69 tackles, including 37 solo stops and 32 assists . . . totaled three tackles for loss, one interception and four pass break-ups . . . started at outside linebacker in 45-21 win over Miami . . . led team with career-high nine tackles vs. Miami, including four solo stops and five assists . . . also collected 1.5 tackles for loss . . . started at outside linebacker in 42-3 win over Iowa State as defense allowed just 291 yards total offense . . . recorded first career interception vs. ISU, which led to Iowa touchdown, along with one solo tackle and two assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 23-21 loss to North Dakota State . . . recorded career-best 11 tackles vs. NDSU, including five solo stops and six assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 14-7 win at Rutgers as defense allowed just one touchdown . . . recorded seven tackles at Rutgers, matching  career-best with five solo stops to go with two assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 38-31 loss to Northwestern . . . recorded three solo tackles and one assist vs. Northwestern, to go with one pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 14-7 win at Minnesota as defense allowed just 102 net rushing yards and 268 yards total offense . . . recorded six tackles at Minnesota, including two solo stops and four assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 49-35 win at Purdue, recording one solo tackle and one assist as defense allowed just 47 net rushing yards . . . started at outside linebacker in 17-9 loss to #10 Wisconsin . . . recorded eight tackles vs. Wisconsin, including four solo tackles and four assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 41-14 loss at #12 Penn State, recording three solo tackles . . . started at outside linebacker in 14-13 win over #2 Michigan as defense allowed just 201 yards total offense . . . recorded six tackles vs. Michigan, including three solo tackles and three assists . . . also had a shared tackle for loss, one pass break-up and one QB pressure . . . started at outside linebacker in 28-0 win at Illinois as defense allowed just 61 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . recorded four tackles at Illinois, including two solo stops and two assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 40-10 win over #15 Nebraska, as defense allowed just 90 net rushing yards and 217 yards total offense . . . recorded two solo tackles and one assist vs. Nebraska, including one tackle for loss and one pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 30-3 Outback Bowl loss to #17 Florida, recording two solo tackles and one assist.

2015 Honors – – Honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches . . . 2015 – – Started all 14 games at outside linebacker . . . recorded 45 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss, four QB sacks and two pass break-ups . . . started at outside linebacker in 31-14 win over Illinois State as defense allowed 35 net rushing yards and 231 yards total offense . . . recorded three total tackles, including two solo tackles and one assist, along with 2.5 tackles for loss and one QB sack . . . started at outside linebacker in 31-17 win at Iowa State as defense allowed no points and just 66 yards total offense in the second half . . . recorded four tackles, including two solo tackles and two assists at ISU, including two tackles for loss and a QB sack . . . started at outside linebacker in 27-24 win over Pitt as defense allowed just 55 net rushing yards and 282 yards total offense . . . recorded three tackles vs. Pitt, including one solo stop and two assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 62-16 win over North Texas, recording one solo tackle, one assist and one pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 10-6 win at Wisconsin as defense allowed no touchdowns and just 320 yards total offense . . . recorded career-high seven tackles at Wisconsin, including two solo stops and five assists . . . recorded 1.5 tackles for loss, including one QB sack . . . started at outside linebacker in 29-20 win over Illinois as defense allowed just 46 net rushing yards . . . recorded one solo tackle and two assists vs. Illinois, along with one QB pressure . . . started at outside linebacker in 40-10 win at Northwestern, recording two solo tackles, two assists and a QB pressure as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . started at outside linebacker in 31-15 win over Maryland, recording one solo tackle and four assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 35-27 win at Indiana . . . recorded career-best three solo tackles and one assist at Indiana, with one QB sack and a pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 40-35 win over Minnesota, recording two solo tackles and two assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 40-20 win over Purdue, recording one solo tackle and one QB pressure . . . started at outside linebacker in 28-20 win at Nebraska, recording one solo tackle before leaving the game in the first quarter due to injury . . . started at outside linebacker in 16-13 loss to Michigan State, recording two solo tackles and one assist . . . started at outside linebacker in 45-16 Rose Bowl loss to Stanford . . . recorded one solo tackle early in the contest before missing majority of the contest due to injury.

2014 – – Played in all 13 games, recording five solo tackles and two assists, along with a blocked punt and return for a touchdown . . . saw first action of action of career in 31-23 win over Northern Iowa, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 17-13 win over Ball State, but had no statistics as defense allowed just two field goals and 219 yards total offense . . . saw action in 20-17 loss to Iowa State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 24-20 win at Pittsburgh, but had no statistics as defense allowed just three points in the second half . . . saw action in 24-10 win at Purdue, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 156 yards total offense . . . saw action in 45-29 win over Indiana, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 38-31 loss at Maryland, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 48-7 win over Northwestern . . . recorded one assisted tackle vs. Northwestern, while also recording a blocked punt and returning the ball for first career touchdown . . . saw action in 51-14 loss at Minnesota, recording one solo tackle for two-yard loss . . . saw action in 30-14 win at Illinois, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 88 net rushing yards and 235 yards total offense . . . saw action in 26-24 loss to No. 14 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 37-34 overtime loss to Nebraska, but had no statistics . . . saw action in TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Tennessee . . . recorded career-best three tackles vs. Tennessee, including two solo tackles and one assist, including a shared tackle for loss.

High school honors – – Earned first team all-state, all-conference and all-area honors as a senior . . . named team and conference Most Valuable Player and MVP of all-area team . . . first team all-state, all-conference and all-area as a junior . . . first team all-conference and all-area as a sophomore . . . Career – – Earned three letters as wide receiver and strong safety . . . helped prep team reach second round of playoffs as a sophomore and junior . . . team won conference title and advanced to state semi-finals as a senior with a 12-1 record . . . recorded 78 tackles as a senior . . . also had 45 receptions for 1,050 yards 15 touchdowns, along with two punt return touchdowns . . . 60 tackles and three interceptions as a junior, with 53 receptions for 884 yards and 13 touchdowns . . . as a sophomore recorded 51 receptions for 734 yards and seven touchdowns . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . two-year letterman in basketball, earning all-conference honors.

Personal – – Born 7/27/95 in Des Moines, Iowa . . . education major . . . parents are Lou Ann and Jay Niemann . . . father Jay is an assistant football coach at Rutgers . . . brother of LB Nick Niemann . . . one of four sets of brothers on Iowa roster . . . member of prep Honor Roll . . . high school coach was Joe Ryan.