Benjamin Richard Grubbs (born March 10, 1984) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

. He played college football at Auburn University, and was drafted by the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...

in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He has also played for the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

and

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

Early years

Grubbs was born in

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...

. He was raised in

Eclectic, Alabama Eclectic is a town in Elmore County, Alabama, United States. It incorporated in 1907. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,193. It is part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Eclectic was founded by Dr. M. L. Fielder, ...

and attended

Elmore County High School Elmore County High School is a public high school in Eclectic, Alabama. It is a part of the Elmore County Public School System. In 2006, as part of renovations, the school was to receive a new band room. In 2007 the Burt-Haynie Stadium at the sch ...

where he was the team's star linebacker. Grubbs registered 150 tackles, six sacks, and an interception as a senior. A two-way star, Grubbs also played fullback, rushing for 130 yards on 28 carries, with two touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 50 yards. As a junior, Grubbs managed 110 total tackles, and an interception, also lettering as a four-year starter on the basketball team. As a senior, he was rated one of the top 10 players in Alabama by SuperPrep Magazine. Grubbs was a SuperPrep All-American and an Alabama Sports Writer's Class 4A All-State selection as a linebacker. At 6-4, 250 as a high school senior, he was recruited as a defensive end, though. Considered a four-star recruit by ''

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

'', Grubbs was listed as the No. 23 strongside defensive end prospect in the nation. He verbally committed to Auburn on January 23, 2002, picking the Tigers over

LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

and

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

College career

Grubbs began attending at Auburn University in 2002 after being encouraged to attend by his cousin, Alvin Leonard, as an oversized linebacker or undersized defensive end. He was redshirted for the 2002 football season, while he worked with the team's strength and conditioning coach to build muscle. Grubbs was slated to work with as a defensive tackle the following year. Grubbs moved from defensive tackle to tight end during the 2003 season, playing in a total of nine games, including the last seven. During spring drills the following year, Grubbs moved from tight end to offensive guard, under the recommendation of his position coach Hugh Nall. Grubbs started all 13 games during the Auburn Tiger's undefeated 2004 campaign. In 2005, he started all 12 games for the Auburn Tigers. During his career at Auburn University, Grubbs never missed a game and started 37 straight contests. During his Auburn career he blocked for future NFL RBs

Cadillac Williams Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams (born April 21, 1982) is an American football coach and former running back in the National Football League. Williams was the interim head coach of the Auburn Tigers, the first African American to hold the posit ...

Ronnie Brown Ronnie G. Brown Jr. (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football running back. After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadill ...

Kenny Irons Kenny Irons (born September 15, 1983) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn. He is the brother of former Atlanta ...

, and QB

Jason Campbell Jason S. Campbell (born December 31, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college footbal ...

. He also starred alongside future left tackle for the San Diego Chargers, Marcus McNeill. Grubbs completed his degree from Auburn, graduating with a Bachelor's in Public Administration in May 2006.

Professional career

2007 NFL Draft

Baltimore Ravens

Grubbs was drafted by the

29th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. During his five years with the Ravens, he started 70 of 74 games and made 1 Pro Bowl .

New Orleans Saints

Grubbs signed a five-year, $36 million contract with the

on March 15, 2012. During his time with the Saints, he made one

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

Kansas City Chiefs

On March 12, 2015, Grubbs was traded to the

in exchange for a 5th round draft pick in the 2015 NFL Draft (

Tyeler Davison Tyeler Davison (born September 23, 1992) is an American football nose tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at Fresno State. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. High school Daviso ...

). On December 2, 2015, the Chiefs placed Grubbs on injured reserve. In his first season with the Chiefs, Grubbs started all 7 games he played in prior to being injured. At the end of the season, the Chiefs released him.

References

External links

ESPN Player ProfileKansas City Chiefs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grubbs, Ben 1984 births Living people People from Elmore County, Alabama Players of American football from Alabama American football offensive guards Auburn Tigers football players Baltimore Ravens players New Orleans Saints players Kansas City Chiefs players American Conference Pro Bowl players Unconferenced Pro Bowl players