Sophomore Ben Gedeon, Linebacker
Number; 42
Hometown: Hudson HS; Hudson, OH
Height/Weight: 6'3 / 236lbs
Three Things to Know About Ben
1. His nickname is "The Freak". This has nothing to do with horrible chemical burns or a large goiter. Ben earned this nickname back in middle school because of his incredible athleticism. It helps that nickname stick when, as a freshman, you show up to your college program and pump out 26 reps on the bench at 225 and then run a 4.6 40-yard dash despite weighing almost 240lbs. Call him "The Freak" or anything you want. Just maybe don't do it to his face.
2. Gedeon impressed in what little playing time he got last year, coming in during the Iowa game for the injured James Ross and tallied three tackles. Gedeon did so as a true freshman in a hostile environment and didn't show any signs of being a freshman:
"You know, when you think about a freshman you think, oh, he's gonna wet himself," said senior Cam Gordon, a fellow linebacker, following a Tuesday afternoon practice. "But he wasn't like that. He was into the game."
"He just stepped right into it," said junior Jake Ryan, another linebacker. "I didn't sense any nervousness or anything. He played well. He played his butt off."
The next week against Ohio State he played even better, registering six tackles and a sack against the Buckeyes.
3. Greg Mattison sees big things in Ben's future:
"Give him an offseason. Get the freshman out of him. And all of a sudden, boy, you've got a linebacker," Mattison said last week. "(Fans) will be very happy with Ben Gedeon, I'll put my name on that one -- this guy's going to be a heck of a football player."