| No. 51, 59 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1978-12-07)December 7, 1978 (age 46) Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Vermillion (SD) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Kansas State (1997–2001) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2002: 3rd round, 71st pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Ben Leber (born December 7, 1978) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker in theNational Football League (NFL). He was selected by theSan Diego Chargers in the third round of the2002 NFL draft and later played for theMinnesota Vikings.
Lining up primarily at running back, Leber was named to several high schoolAll-America teams at Vermillion High School inVermillion, South Dakota. As a junior, he rushed for 1,404 yards and 18 touchdowns, and notched 1,350 yards in his senior year. That season, he was declared aParade Magazine All-America (the only South Dakotan so honored in 1997), an honorable mention All-USA byUSA Today, and was selected to play in the North-South Dakota All-Star game. An excellent student, he was also an Academic All-State selection.
AtKansas State, Leber made the switch to full-time linebacker. A two-time All-Big 12 selection, he finished his college career with 216 tackles, 46 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks. His 216 career tackles were the fifth most in Kansas State history. As a junior, he earned second-team all-conference honors. The year later, he was an All-America third-team selection by theAssociated Press, a consensus All-Big 12 Conference first-team choice, and a team captain. He received a degree in business-general management in 2002.
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 244 lb (111 kg) | 4.63 s | 1.61 s | 2.71 s | 4.25 s | 6.75 s | 32.5 in (0.83 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | 20 reps | |||
| All values fromNFL Combine[1] | ||||||||||||
Leber was selected by theSan Diego Chargers in the third round of the2002 NFL draft.[2] He was an immediate-impact rookie, playing in all 16 games and starting 14 of them. He was selected to both thePro Football Weekly andFootball Digest All-Rookie teams, finishing the year with 49 tackles, 5 sacks (third on the team), and 3 forced fumbles (first on the team).
In his second season, Leber started every game at strong side linebacker for the Chargers, notching 75 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 pass defensed, and 1 forced fumble. In his third year, he was an every-game starter for the Chargers, finishing the season with 58 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. The next season, Leber was injured during training camp and again during the season. This led to him losing his starting position to future Pro-BowlerShawne Merriman. He finished 2005 with 22 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.
As an unrestricted free agent, Leber was signed by theMinnesota Vikings on March 11, 2006. Playing in 15 games, he finished his first season with the team with 46 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 fumble recovery touchdown. The next year was even better—playing in all 16 games, Leber notched 67 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. In 2008, Leber again played the full season, recording 64 tackles, a career-low 1.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions.
On August 9, 2011, Leber signed with theSt. Louis Rams. On December 3, 2011, Leber was waived by the Rams.
Despite having worked out for thePhiladelphia Eagles in March 2012,[3] he was unable to find an interested team.
He announced his retirement from professional football on June 18, 2012.[4]
| Season | Team | GP | Total | Ast | Comb | SCK | INT | INT TD | PD | FF | Fum Rec | Fum TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Kansas State | 10 | 19.0 | 11 | 30 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | Kansas State | 11 | 35.0 | 23 | 58 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | Kansas State | 13 | 38.0 | 17 | 55 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | Kansas State | 11 | 55.0 | 18 | 73 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 45 | 147.0 | 69 | 216 | 13.0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Season | Team | GP | Total | Ast | Comb | SCK | INT | INT TD | PD | FF | Fum Rec | Fum TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | San Diego Chargers | 16 | 41.0 | 9 | 50 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | San Diego Chargers | 16 | 69.0 | 11 | 80 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | San Diego Chargers | 16 | 49.0 | 11 | 60 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 | San Diego Chargers | 9 | 18.0 | 4 | 22 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 | Minnesota Vikings | 15 | 34.0 | 12 | 46 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2007 | Minnesota Vikings | 16 | 52.0 | 15 | 67 | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | Minnesota Vikings | 16 | 47.0 | 17 | 64 | 1.5 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | Minnesota Vikings | 16 | 38 | 8 | 46 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | Minnesota Vikings | 16 | 35 | 11 | 46 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | St. Louis Rams | 7 | 11.0 | 4 | 15 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 143 | 393 | 103 | 496 | 24.0 | 5 | 0 | 28 | 12 | 4 | 1 |
| Season | Team | GP | Tckl | Ast | Total | SCK | INT | INT TD | PD | FF | Fum Rec | Fum TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | San Diego Chargers | 1 | 5.0 | 2 | 7 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | Minnesota Vikings | 1 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 2 | 9.0 | 2 | 11 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Leber was born inCouncil Bluffs, Iowa and raised inVermillion, South Dakota. He is the son of Al and Han Leber. His brother, Jason, was an All-American running back at theUniversity of South Dakota.[5]
His Mother, Han, is Korean.[6]
Leber is married to his wife Abby, and they have 2 sons and 1 daughter.[citation needed]
He is a radio sideline analyst for the Minnesota Vikings. He also broadcasts onKFAN and Co-Hosts Twin Cities Live onABC affiliateKSTP.[7]