Ben Utecht

{{Short description|American football player and singer (born 1981)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Ben Utecht

| image = 2013-0427-BenUtecht.jpg

| caption = Utecht at the 2013 Minnesota Gophers Alumni Flag Football Game

| number = 47, 81, 86

| position = Tight end

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|6|30}}

| birth_place = Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 6

| weight_lbs = 251

| high_school = Hastings {{nowrap|(Hastings, Minnesota)}}

| college = Minnesota (1999–2003)

| undraftedyear = 2004

| pastteams =

Indianapolis Colts ({{NFL Year|2004}}–{{NFL Year|2007}})
Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|2008}}–{{NFL Year|2009}})

| highlights =

Super Bowl champion (XLI)
First-team All-Big Ten (2003)
Second-team All-Big Ten (2001)

| statlabel1 = Receptions

| statvalue1 = 87

| statlabel2 = Receiving yards

| statvalue2 = 923

| statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns

| statvalue3 = 3

| pfr = UtecBe00

}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Benjamin Utecht

| image =

| birth_name = Benjamin Jeffrey Utecht

| origin = Rochester, Minnesota, United States

| genre = Classical Pop/Vocal

| occupation = Singer

| years_active = 2009–present

| label = Stylos Records

}}

Benjamin Jeffrey Utecht (born June 30, 1981) is an American singer and former professional football player.[http://makingmusicmag.com/ben-utecht-march-2012/ Making Music: Ben Utecht, Former Colts Tight End, Turned Professional Singer] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094831/http://makingmusicmag.com/ben-utecht-march-2012/ |date=March 4, 2016 }} He played football as a tight end for the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2004 after playing college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI over the Chicago Bears.

Early life

Utecht graduated from Hastings Senior High School in Hastings, Minnesota where he helped lead the Raiders to a State Semi-Final appearance.

College career

Utecht became a four-year starter at the University of Minnesota, starting 35 of 44 games and playing in the Music City Bowl.

Professional career

=Indianapolis Colts=

He 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=

On 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

class="wikitable"
Season ! 2004 ! 2005 ! 2006 ! 2007 ! 2008
Receptions \|0 \|3 \|37 \|31 \|16
Yards \|0 \|59 \|377 \|364 \|123
Touchdowns \|0 \|2 \|0 \|1 \|0

class="wikitable"

Season

! 2004

! 2005

! 2006

! 2007

! 2008

Receptions

|37

|31

|16

Yards

|59

|377

|364

|123

Touchdowns

=Singing career=

Following 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.

Personal life

The son of a Methodist Minister,{{Cite news |last=James |first=Tom |date=December 22, 2007 |title=Singing a Passion for Colts' Punter, Tight End |url=http://www.tribstar.com/sports/local_story_356234147.html |access-date=March 29, 2009 |work=Tribune-Star}} Utecht recorded an Inspirational music album, released on May 5, 2009, on Sandi Patty's Stylos label.{{Cite news |date=March 24, 2009 |title=Charley Walters: Tayler Hill Harrows Her College Choices Down to Final Four |url=http://www.twincities.com/ci_11988941?source=most_viewed |access-date=March 29, 2009 |work=St. Paul Pioneer Press |publisher=www.twincities.com}}

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.{{Cite news |date=March 24, 2009 |title=Benjamin Utecht |url=http://benutecht.com/BlogNews/tabid/1125/EntryId/127/Welcome-Elleora-Grace.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110707223820/http://benutecht.com/BlogNews/tabid/1125/EntryId/127/Welcome-Elleora-Grace.aspx |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |publisher=benutecht.com}}{{Cite news |date=November 9, 2010 |title=the twins have arrived! Every one is healthy! Katriel Beverlee and Amy Joan, what an amazing experience! |url=https://twitter.com/BenUtecht/status/2153478759649280 |access-date=July 19, 2013 |publisher=twitter.com}}

=Traumatic brain injury=

Utecht, who suffered five known concussions during his football career, was already experiencing memory loss by late 2011, when he was 30 years old.{{Cite news |last=Brady |first=Erik |title=Ex-NFL player Benjamin Utecht battling memory loss |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/story/2011-12-20/former-nfl-player-benjamin-utecht-concussions-singer/52123290/1}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Scoggins |first=Chip |date=June 28, 2014 |title=Utecht writes songs for daughters |url=http://www.startribune.com/june-28-2014-utecht-writes-songs-for-daughters/264978281/ |access-date=December 18, 2015 |publisher=Star-Tribune}}

Other media

Utecht also wrote the book Counting the Days Until My Mind Slips Away.{{Citation |last=ABC News |title='Concussion' and the Serious Impact of Repeated Head Trauma {{!}} ABC News |date=December 18, 2015 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p17cTTHteY4 |access-date=October 4, 2017}}