44 Ben Niemann
LB 6-3 230 Jr.
Sycamore, IL
2015 Honors - - Honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches . . . 2015 - - Started all 14 games at outside linebacker . . . recorded 45 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss, four QB sacks and two pass break-ups . . . started at outside linebacker in 31-14 win over Illinois State as defense allowed 35 net rushing yards and 231 yards total offense . . . recorded three total tackles, including two solo tackles and one assist, along with 2.5 tackles for loss and one QB sack . . . started at outside linebacker in 31-17 win at Iowa State as defense allowed no points and just 66 yards total offense in the second half . . . recorded four tackles, including two solo tackles and two assists at ISU, including two tackles for loss and a QB sack . . . started at outside linebacker in 27-24 win over Pitt as defense allowed just 55 net rushing yards and 282 yards total offense . . . recorded three tackles vs. Pitt, including one solo stop and two assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 62-16 win over North Texas, recording one solo tackle, one assist and one pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 10-6 win at Wisconsin as defense allowed no touchdowns and just 320 yards total offense . . . recorded career-high seven tackles at Wisconsin, including two solo stops and five assists . . . recorded 1.5 tackles for loss, including one QB sack . . . started at outside linebacker in 29-20 win over Illinois as defense allowed just 46 net rushing yards . . . recorded one solo tackle and two assists vs. Illinois, along with one QB pressure . . . started at outside linebacker in 40-10 win at Northwestern, recording two solo tackles, two assists and a QB pressure as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . started at outside linebacker in 31-15 win over Maryland, recording one solo tackle and four assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 35-27 win at Indiana . . . recorded career-best three solo tackles and one assist at Indiana, with one QB sack and a pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 40-35 win over Minnesota, recording two solo tackles and two assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 40-20 win over Purdue, recording one solo tackle and one QB pressure . . . started at outside linebacker in 28-20 win at Nebraska, recording one solo tackle before leaving the game in the first quarter due to injury . . . started at outside linebacker in 16-13 loss to Michigan State, recording two solo tackles and one assist . . . started at outside linebacker in 45-16 Rose Bowl loss to Stanford . . . recorded one solo tackle early in the contest before missing majority of the contest due to injury.
2014 - -Played in all 13 games, recording five solo tackles and two assists, along with a blocked punt and return for a touchdown . . . saw first action of action of career in 31-23 win over Northern Iowa, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 17-13 win over Ball State, but had no statistics as defense allowed just two field goals and 219 yards total offense . . . saw action in 20-17 loss to Iowa State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 24-20 win at Pittsburgh, but had no statistics as defense allowed just three points in the second half . . . saw action in 24-10 win at Purdue, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 156 yards total offense . . . saw action in 45-29 win over Indiana, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 38-31 loss at Maryland, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 48-7 win over Northwestern . . . recorded one assisted tackle vs. Northwestern, while also recording a blocked punt and returning the ball for first career touchdown . . . saw action in 51-14 loss at Minnesota, recording one solo tackle for two-yard loss . . . saw action in 30-14 win at Illinois, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 88 net rushing yards and 235 yards total offense . . . saw action in 26-24 loss to No. 14 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 37-34 overtime loss to Nebraska, but had no statistics . . . saw action in TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Tennessee . . . recorded career-best three tackles vs. Tennessee, including two solo tackles and one assist, including a shared tackle for loss.
High school honors - - Earned first team all-state, all-conference and all-area honors as a senior . . . named team and conference Most Valuable Player and MVP of all-area team . . . first team all-state, all-conference and all-area as a junior . . . first team all-conference and all-area as a sophomore . . . Career - - Earned three letters as wide receiver and strong safety . . . helped prep team reach second round of playoffs as a sophomore and junior . . . team won conference title and advanced to state semi-finals as a senior with a 12-1 record . . . recorded 78 tackles as a senior . . . also had 45 receptions for 1,050 yards 15 touchdowns, along with two punt return touchdowns . . . 60 tackles and three interceptions as a junior, with 53 receptions for 884 yards and 13 touchdowns . . . as a sophomore recorded 51 receptions for 734 yards and seven touchdowns . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . two-year letterman in basketball, earning all-conference honors.
Personal - - Born 7/27/95 in Des Moines, Iowa . . . education major . . . parents are Lou Ann and Jay Niemann . . . father Jay is an assistant football coach at Rutgers . . . member of prep Honor Roll . . . high school coach was Joe Ryan.
