| No. 34 – Indianapolis Colts | |
|---|---|
| Position | Safety |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1999-09-24)September 24, 1999 (age 26) McPherson, Kansas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | McPherson |
| College |
|
| NFL draft | 2024: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Stats atPro Football Reference | |
Ben Nikkel (born September 24, 1999) is an American professionalfootballsafety for theIndianapolis Colts of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theMcPherson Bulldogs andIowa State Cyclones.
Nikkel was born September 24, 1999 inMcPherson, Kansas.[1][2] He attendedMcPherson High School, graduating in 2018. Nikkel played on the school'sfootball team as awide receiver anddefensive back.[3]
Nikkel enrolled atMcPherson College to playcollege football for theMcPherson Bulldogs. He playedwide receiver for three season from 2018 to 2020, recording 107receptions for 1,570yards and 14touchdowns in that time.[3] Nikkel was ateam captain and a two-time all-conference selection at McPherson.[4] He thentransferred to play for theIowa State Cyclones. He playeddefensive back andspecial teams as awalk-on at Iowa State. Heredshirted in 2021 before being awarded ascholarship and being named a team captain in 2023.[3][5][6] Nikkel played in all 12 games in 2022 and recorded threetackles; in 2023, he played in 12 games with twostarts, recording 40 tackles, one tackle for loss, and threepass breakups, as well as ablocked punt recovery.[4]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+1⁄4 in (1.84 m) | 199 lb (90 kg) | 30+5⁄8 in (0.78 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.45 s | 1.50 s | 2.56 s | 4.10 s | 6.82 s | 39.5 in (1.00 m) | 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m) | 15 reps | |
| All values fromPro Day[7][8] | ||||||||||||
Nikkel was not selected in the2024 NFL draft. He was signed to thepractice squad of theWashington Commanders on October 22, 2024, and the Commanders signed him to a future contract on January 28, 2025. He was released from the Commanders on August 26.[1]
TheIndianapolis Colts signed Nikkel to the team's practice squad on August 28, 2025.[9] He signed a reserve/future contract with Indianapolis on January 5, 2026.[10]