Ben Leber life and biography

Ben Leber is a Korean-American American football linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL.

• Starter on the NFL’s #1-ranked rush defenses in 4 straight seasons with San Diego in 2005 and Minnesota in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
• Ranks 5th in Vikings history for sacks by a LB with 12.0.
• Native of South Dakota, joins fellow Vikings LB Chad Greenway as the NFL’s only starters from the state.

OFFTHE FIELD
Vikings leader in the Tackle Influenza campaign with the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital and makes regular visits to the hospital as part of the Vikings Community Tuesday events…Hosted a youth football camp during the offseason...Was active in several community outreach programs during his Chargers tenure, helping raise funds for the San Diego Fire Department to purchase helicopters, a cause close to him as he was nearly evacuated from his home during the October 2003 wild fires that ravaged the area...He and wife, Abby, had a daughter, Ames, in May 2008...Couple has a pair of Great Danes, Moose and Belle...Parents, Al and Han, met while Al was stationed in Korea with the U.S. Army...Father was Ben’s high school principal at Vermillion High...Brother, Jason, was an All-America RB at University of South Dakota in their hometown of Vermillion...Brother, Aaron, played baseball at Tennessee Tech...Joined a pair of other Chargers players who flew out to visit troops on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in January 2005...Holds bachelor’s degree in business-general management from Kansas State.

HONORS
2002 All-Rookie team from Pro Football Weekly and Football Digest.

PRO
Part of the NFL’s #1-ranked rushing defense for 4 straight seasons in 2005-08, helping the Vikings become the 1st NFL team to lead the league in rushing defense 3 straight years for the 1st time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger...Tied for Vikings sack lead in 2007 and matched career-high with 5.0...Is ranked 5th in career sacks by a Vikings LB with 12.0 and ranks tied for 4th in Vikings history for sacks by a LB in a season with 5.0...Set a Vikings record with the longest sack in team history by throwing Eli Manning for a 26-yard loss at NY Giants (11/25/07)...Has notched 24.0 career sacks...Part of Vikings defense in 2007 that tied team record with 6 INT-return TDs and 8 overall defensive TDs...Joined the Vikings during 2006 offseason and helped the team’s overall defense climb from #21 in the NFL in 2005 to #8 in 2006, the 1st time the team has been in the top 10 in total defense since 1994…Played a large role in the Vikings defense breaking several team records, including fewest rushing yards allowed in a season (985), fewest rushing yards allowed in a game (-3 at Detroit, 12/10/06), fewest rushing attempts in a game (6 vs. Arizona, 11/26/06) and fewest rushing 1st downs for a season (53)…The Vikings 985 rushing yards allowed ranks as the 2nd-lowest total in the NFL since the 1970 merger…Helped Chargers rank #1 in the NFL against the run in 2005, allowing 84.3 yards per game...Stepped into starting lineup as a rookie and made an immediate impact, earning All-Rookie honors for the Chargers...Drafted in 3rd Round (#71) in 2002 by San Diego...Had career-high 3.0 sacks of Texans QB David Carr on 9/15/02...His 3.0 sacks tied for the AFC single-game high in 2002, were the most by a rookie and tied Steelers’ Joey Porter for most by a LB.

2009
Tied for team lead with 9 passes defensed and led Vikings LBs with 2.5 sacks on the season...Started 100th career game at Chicago (12/28) on Monday Night Football and posted regular-season high 10 tackles...Had most productive game of the season vs. Dallas (1/17/10) in NFC Divisional Playoff game, leading team with 10 tackles, notching an INT off Tony Romo and recovered a fumble in the game...His 10 tackles in Dallas game is his career playoff best and snared his 1st career playoff INT...Led Vikings with 18 tackles in 2-game playoff run...Jumped on a fumble by fellow LB Greenway vs. NY Giants (1/3/10).

2008
Tied for NFL lead with career-best 4 fumble recoveries…Tied Vikings record for passes defensed by a LB with 12, matching the mark set by Matt Blair in 1981…Snared career-best 2 INTs on the season to tie for Vikings lead, grabbing a Kyle Orton pass vs. Chicago (11/30) in a Sunday Night Football contest and a Drew Brees attempt at New Orleans (10/6) on Monday Night Football…Ranked 4th on team and tied career-best with 88 tackles…Notched season-high 10 tackles vs. NY Giants (12/28) and sacked QB Eli Manning for the 2nd straight season.

2007
Tied for Vikings lead with 5.0 sacks to match his career best, a total that ranks as the 5th-best in Vikings history by a LB…Posted career-high 88 tackles and ranked 3rd among Vikings defenders…Had 1st career game with an INT and sack at Chicago (10/14) when he got both against Bears QB Brian Griese…Joined with fellow LB E.J. Henderson for 9.5 sacks, the 2nd-most sacks in team history by a LB duo, trailing Broderick Thomas (6.0) and Ed McDaniel (4.5) who combined for 10.5 in 1995…Set a Vikings record with the longest sack in team history by throwing Eli Manning for a 26-yard loss at NY Giants (11/25)…Recovered a fumble by Cowboys WR Patrick Crayton and returned it 10 yards before lateraling the ball to teammate Cedric Griffin who returned it 50 yards for a TD at Dallas (10/21)…Forced a fumble on Bears All-Pro return man Devin Hester vs. Chicago (12/17) on Monday Night Football in a Vikings win...Had career-high 10 tackles at Kansas City (9/23) and notched 3.0 tackles for loss.

2006
Bounced back from an ankle injury in 2005 to play in 15 games and start 10…Played a key role in the Vikings ranking #8 in the NFL in total defense, the 1st time since 1994 the team ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in defense…Helped the team to a #1 ranking in rushing defense, holding opponents to 985 rushing yards on the season, a team record and the 2nd-lowest total in the NFL since the 1970 merger…Notched his 1st career INT and 1st career TD during the season…Sacked Brett Favre at Green Bay (12/21), his 1st sack against the future Hall of Famer…Snared his 1st career INT when he grabbed a Rex Grossman pass at Chicago (12/3)…Helped limit the Cardinals rushing attack vs. Arizona (11/26), allowing 6 rushing attempts, which tied an NFL record, and setting a career-high with 2 forced fumbles in the game…Notched a season-high 10 tackles vs. Green Bay (11/12)...Had a sack of Seahawks’ QB Seneca Wallace at Seattle (10/22) that was recovered for a TD by DT Kevin Williams…Started vs. Detroit (10/8) and was part of a defense that held the Lions to 16 yards rushing, with only 8 coming from RBs, and recovered a QB Jon Kitna fumble in the end zone, scoring the Vikings’ 2nd defensive TD of the season.

2005
Started 6 of the 9 games he played...Had 22 tackles, a pair of sacks and was 2nd among LBs with 4 tackles for loss...Had season cut short by foot injury that landed him on injured reserve...Was part of one of the biggest wins of the 2005 season when Chargers went into Gillette Stadium (10/2) and upended the Patriots 41-17 to snap the defending Super Bowl champions’ 21-game home winning streak and notched a sack of Tom Brady in the game...Sacked Drew Bledsoe in season opener vs. Dallas (9/11) along with fumble recovery...Inactive for pair of games before going on injured reserve with foot injury on 11/30.

2004
Started all 16 games and the Wild Card playoff vs. NY Jets...Helped Chargers win the AFC West for the 1st time since 1994 and earn a playoff berth with a 12-4 regular season mark after going 4-12 in 2003...Posted career-high 9 tackles vs. Kansas City (1/2/05) in regular season finale...Made 7 tackles in playoff game vs. NY Jets (1/8/05)...Had sack of Brian Griese against Tampa Bay (12/12).

2003
Ranked 4th on team with career-best 75 tackles, including 64 solos...Had season-best 8 tackles at Cleveland (10/19) and matched that total at Detroit (12/7)...Posted 3.0 sacks on the season to rank 4th on team...Sacked Kyle Boller vs. Baltimore (9/21), caught Jake Plummer at Denver (11/16) and Rick Mirer vs. Oakland (12/28).

2002
Burst onto the scene as a rookie, starting 14 of the 16 games he played...Earned All-Rookie notice from Pro Football Weekly and Football Digest...Led Chargers with 3 forced fumbles and ranked 3rd on team with 5.0 sacks...Earned 1st start in season opener at Cincinnati (9/8) and had a sack in the 34-6 win...Forced a pair of fumbles that were recovered for TDs by the Chargers...Jarred the ball loose from Rams WR Isaac Bruce that was returned 82 yards for a TD by fellow LB Donnie Edwards at St. Louis (11/10), the longest fumble return in Chargers history...Forced a fumble on sack of David Carr, 1 of his career-best 3 on the day, vs. Houston (9/15) in the end zone that was recovered by DE Raylee Johnson for a Chargers TD...Notched last sack of the season vs. Denver (12/1) when he caught Steve Beuerlein.

COLLEGE:

Named All-Big 12 twice and served as team captain as a senior...Earned 3rd-Team All-America honors as a senior by Associated Press...Ranked 5th in career tackles for loss when he left KSU...Ended career with 216 tackles, 13.5 sacks and 46 tackles for loss.

Chosen to play in North Dakota-South Dakota All-Star game as a senior...Earned All-USA honors from USA Today and was a Parade Magazine All-America at Vermillion (SD) High...All-State honoree as a junior and senior...Academic All-State choice and honor roll student throughout high school...Ran sprints on track team.

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