Ben Utecht - Tight End

6-6, 251 Minnesota 5 years in the NFL FA-04 DOB: 06/30/1981

Signed as FA with Colts on April 30, 2004…placed on Physically Unable to Perform List on August 30, 2004.

2007:  Fourth-year player who started 13 of 14 games at TE and H-B position…was inactive vs. Tampa Bay 10/7 and vs. Tennessee 12/30…was 31-364, 1 TD receiving…had multiple receptions in nine games…was 5-31 at Tennessee 9/16 for seasonal-high reception total…was 2-41 at Carolina 10/28…was 3-30 at San Diego 11/11 and 3-26 vs. Kansas City 11/18…was 4-38, 1 TD at Atlanta 11/22…was 3-47 vs. Jacksonville 12/2 for seasonal-high yardage total…was 3-42 at Oakland 12/16.  POST-SEASON:  Started at H-B vs. San Diego 1/13 in Divisional Playoffs and was 1-20 receiving.

2006:  Started 15 games at TE and H-B position…was inactive vs. Tennessee 10/8 with injury…set career marks with 37-377 receiving…had receptions in 13 games and multiple receptions in eleven games…was 3-21 receiving at NYG 9/10…had season-long 26-yard reception vs. Houston 9/17…was 4-52 vs. Washington 10/22 and 4-49 at New England 11/5…posted career-highs with 7-66 vs. Buffalo 11/12…was 4-35 vs. Cincinnati 12/18.  POST-SEASON:  Started four games and was 5-41 receiving…was 2-17 vs. Kansas City in Wild Card Playoffs 1/6 and 1-11 at Baltimore 1/13 in Divisional Playoffs…was 1-5 vs. New England 1/21 in AFC Championship Game and 1-8 vs. Chicago 2/4 in Super Bowl XLI.  2005:  Started two of 12 games at TE…started at Baltimore 9/11 and vs. Jacksonville 9/18…was inactive vs. Cleveland 9/25, at Tennessee 10/2, at San Francisco 10/9 and at New England 11/7…was 3-59, 2 TDs in first season on field…was 1-26, 1 TD at Baltimore…TD reception was first career catch…was 2-33, 1 TD (14t) vs. Arizona 1/1…reception in first quarter vs. Arizona was for TD, making first two career catches TD receptions.  POST-SEASON:   Saw action as reserve and special teamer vs. Pittsburgh 1/15.  2004: Spent entire season on Physically Unable to Perform List.

Four-year starter who opened 35 of 44 games at TE…was 83-1,211, 15 TDs receiving for career…started nine of 10 games as senior and was 18-289, 2 TDs…was semi-finalist for Mackey Award…was 4-64, 1 TD (6t) at Northwestern…was 2-9, 1 TD (5t) at Indiana…was 3-38.0 punting against Tulsa…started nine of 13 games as junior and led team with six TD catches on 37-480 receiving…was 3-86, 1 TD (75t) at Southwest Texas…was 7-78, 3 TDs (3t, 1t, 23t) at Louisiana-Lafayette…had 21t reception (3-42) against Toledo…was 4-23 at Buffalo and 3-29 at Purdue…was 5-77, 1 TD (19t) against Arkansas in Music City Bowl…started 11 games as sophomore…was 20-314, 5 TDs receiving…was second-team All-Big Ten pick by league's coaches…had 1t reception against Purdue…was 2-47 at Illinois and 6-77, 1 TD (1t) against Murray State…had 19t reception against Iowa…was 3-104, 2 TDs (38t, 59t) against Wisconsin…started six of 10 games at TE as freshman after being converted from WR during preseason…was 8-128, 2 TDs…had 38t reception (2-47) in debut against Louisiana-Monroe…had 3t reception against Purdue…red-shirted in 1999…communications studies major.

Full name is Benjamin Jeffrey Utecht…born in Hastings, Minn.…attended Hastings High School…was Super Prep All-Midwest team pick and all-state selection as punter (39.1 avg.)…had career-long punt of 68 yards…was Star Tribune All-Metro choice...also played DE…helped lead hockey team to second place in state as goalie…qualified for state track meet in long jump as senior…member of National Honor Society...won numerous awards for musical and artistic excellence…performed national anthem at Colts-Buffalo preseason game on 8/28/04…Ben and his wife, Karyn, reside in Brownsburg, Ind.