| No. 96, 93 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | February 24, 1993 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 287 lb (130 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Centerville (Centerville, Ohio) | ||||
| College: | Ohio State (2011–2014) | ||||
| NFL draft: | 2015 / Round: 6 / Pick: 180 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||
Benjamin Michael Bennett IV (born February 24, 1993) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football at Ohio State.
Bennett attended Centerville High School in Centerville, Ohio, where he was a first-team Division I All-Ohio performer who played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He was a two-time Greater Western Ohio Conference player of the year and served as team captain for coach Ron Ullery's 2010 Centerville team that went 9–3 and reached the regional semifinals.[1]
Bennett was also a top competitor in track & field. In 2011, Bennett’s final throw of 19.48 meters (63 feet, 11 inches) in the shot put at the Division I track and field meet was enough to vault him to a state title at his future home on the Ohio State University campus. He followed up with a second-place finish in the discus throw with a toss of 56.50 meters (185 feet, 4 inches).[2] He had top-throws of 19.80 meters (64 feet, 11.5 inches) in the shot put, 59.83 meters (196 feet, 3 inches) in the discus pand 53.21 meters (174 feet, 6 inches) in the hammer at Centerville.[3]
As a true freshman in 2011, Bennett played in all 13 games, recording 17 tackles and three quarterback sacks. As a sophomore in 2012, Bennett played in only eight games due to injury. As a junior in 2013, Bennett started all 13 games, recording 44 tackles and 7.5 sacks.[4][5][6]
Bennett, who was unable to work out at the 2015 NFL Combine due to injury, pulled up on his 40-yard dash attempt at Ohio State's Pro Day with a hamstring problem. The injury forced him to withdraw from the other on-field drills.
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
293 lb (133 kg) |
5.04 s | 1.74 s | 2.87 s | ||||||||
| All values from OSU Pro Day[7] | ||||||||||||
On May 2, 2015, Bennett was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 180th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft.[8] In 13 games of his rookie season, Bennett recorded ten tackles and half a sack.[9]
On September 3, 2016, Bennett was placed on injured reserve.[10]
On September 19, 2017, Bennett was again placed on injured reserve after suffering a pectoral injury.[11]
On September 11, 2018, Bennett was released by the Jaguars.[12]
On October 2, 2018, Bennett signed with the Atlanta Falcons.[13] He was waived on October 30, 2018.[14] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Falcons on January 10, 2019.[15]
On July 22, 2019, Bennett suffered a dislocated ankle and was placed on injured reserve.[16]