Every month, NFL Player Engagement and Scholar Baller® highlight a high school or college football student-athlete for their outstanding performance in the classroom and community. This month’s Scholar-Baller of the Month is Ben Stansfield, a graduating senior offensive lineman on the football team at Austin Peay State University.
Ben Stansfield: A True Governor
When Ben Stansfield lines up on the gridiron for the Austin Peay Governors it’s easy to confuse him for Thor. He uses his gigantic build to overpower his opponents on the line, making him one of the best offensive linemen in college football.
However, when push comes to shove (which he does a lot on field) Stanfield stands out even more in the classrooms of Austin Peay State University, where he is one of the most impressive psychology students in the country.
Stansfield boasts an unparalleled 4.00 GPA to mirror his unparalleled 6’8” stature.
It’s no coincidence that Stansfield’s offensive line has allowed the fewest sacks in his conference for two consecutive seasons.
He’s boasted the highest GPA in the Ohio Valley Conference for three consecutive seasons as a part of his school’s honors college. He was a Second Team Academic All-American in 2013 and has appeared on his school’s Honor Roll and President’s List in each semester. Also a recipient of the Perkins Freemans Governors Club Academic Scholarship, Stansfield earned all of these academic accolades while working hard enough to graduate from the university a full semester early.
But if excelling at football and in the classroom weren’t enough, Stansfield’s extracurricular involvement to help the community do even more to distinguish him as a true “Scholar-Baller®.”
He is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and represents his football team on the school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council. He volunteered for Govs Give Back, an organization that feeds hundreds of families in need over the holiday season.
He’s participated in Read Across America and even helped his school’s search team in pursuit of a new head football coach last spring.
He plans to study for the LSAT this academic semester, and then enroll in law school in the future.
“I don’t get a lot of sleep. I had to decide between football, studying or sleeping and I chose football and studying. It may not be the healthiest way to live, but it’s what I do.”
~ Ben Stansfield