Ben Ladner Season 2005

At Stanford: Moved to his third position in three years at Stanford, Ben was switched to tight end during the spring 2007 campaign and showed tremendous potential to be a solid contributor ... An All-State defensive end and tight end as a prep player in Missouri, he was a defensive lineman on The Farm as a true freshman in 2005 and a fullback in 2006.

Career Statistics
Career Game Highs: Rec - 5, at Oregon State(10/27/07) • Yards - 36, vs. Oregon (9/22/07) • TD - 1, vs. Oregon (9/22/07) • LG - 31, vs. Oregon (9/22/07)

The 2007 Season: Contributed 27 catches, 198 receiving yards (7.3 ypc) and one TD reception in 2007 with his career totals the same ... Had a career-high 36 receiving yards on a pair of catches and his first career TD reception versus Oregon ... Also contributed 10 tackles, a forced fumble and three kickoff returns for 37 yards in 2007 and was one of the team's top special teams players
Game-By-Game Statistics
Season Game Highs: Rec - 5, at Oregon State (10/27) • Yards - 36, vs. Oregon (9/22) • TD - 1, vs. Oregon (9/22) • LG - 31, vs. Oregon (9/22)

The 2006 Season: Moved to fullback for the 2006 season ... Played a reserve role and was a member of Stanford's special teams ... Earned his first varsity letter ... Played in seven of 12 games.
Game-By-Game Statistics

The 2005 Season: Redshirted the season as a true freshman defensive lineman.

In High School: One of the nation's top defensive line prospects in 2004 out of Pembroke HS in Missouri ... Ben was selected to the All-Midlands team by both SuperPrep and PrepStar ... Two-time first-team All-State selection ... Earned All-State honors as a defensive end following his senior year and as a tight end as a junior ... Started at defensive end and running back as a senior ... As a running back, he rushed for over 600 yards and accounted for more than 400 receiving yard while scoring 15 TDs ... He was named First-Team All-District as a DE and First-Team Nike Camp All-American ... As a junior, he started at tight end and defensive end ... Had 20 receptions for 400 yards and four touchdowns ... First-Team All-District and All-Conference as a tight end ... Started at DE as a sophomore.

Personal Information: English major ... National Merit Semifinalist ... Father, Dale, played college basketball at Kansas.

Getting To Know Ben Ladner

Nickname: Lad
I would describe myself as a person as: Thoughtful
The reason I love football is: The camaraderie
For me to improve as a person, I need to: Become a more compassionate individual
My favorite pre-game ritual is: Listening to rap music
My greatest athletic moment is: Winning our conference championship my sophomore year in high school on a goal line stand
The teammate I admire the most is: Nick Frank
My favorite stadium in which to play is: Ours
The toughest player I have faced in college is: Michael Okwo
A friend from another college football team is: John Larson (Kansas)
The reason I chose Stanford University is: The unique nature of the school
Since coming to Stanford, I have learned: So much
The best thing about Stanford is: Northern California
My favorite class at Stanford is: Zen Buddhism
My least favorite class at Stanford is: IHUM
What sets Stanford apart from other college football programs: The players
The sports team I followed when I was younger: Kansas City Chiefs
When I played football as a kid, I pretended to be: Derrick Thomas
If I could spend a day with anyone, it would be: Buddha
Best book I have read: The Plague by Albert Camus
Favorite Food: Smoothies or steak
Least Favorite Food: Raw onion
If I had to cook all of my meals, I'd probably survive on: Stouffer's lasagna
Favorite Movie: Lost in Translation
Favorite TV Show: Entourage
Favorite Actor: Bill Murray
Favorite Actress: Natalie Portman
If a movie were made of my life, the actor who would play me is: Don Johnson
My ultimate SportsCenter highlight would be: Stanford winning a national championship
Favorite musical group or performer: Dylan
If I were not playing college football, I would be: Sleeping more and getting better grades
After my Stanford career, I'd like to be remembered as: A good teammate
The best advice I ever received was: Gotta eat big to get big
The people who had the greatest influence on my life: My parents
One moment in history I wish I could have seen: The parting of the Red Sea
The place I'd most like to visit: The Himalayas
The favorite place I've visited: Hawai'i
Hobbies: Reading, thinking, listening to music
Ten years from now, I'd like to be: Happy
My advice to youngsters: Think for yourself
If I won $1 million, I would: Probably give most of it away

Last Updated: December 18, 2007