Ben Koyack

Benjamin Koyack (born April 9, 1993) is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.

Ben Koyack
Koyack with the Jacksonville Jaguars at Naval Station Mayport in 2017
Free agent
Position:Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1993-04-09) April 9, 1993
Oil City, Pennsylvania
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:258 lb (117 kg)
Career information
High school:Oil City (Oil City, Pennsylvania)
College:Notre Dame
NFL Draft:2015 / Round: 7 / Pick: 229
Career history
Career NFL statistics as of 2019
Receptions:25
Receiving yards:208
Receiving touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

Koyack attended Oil City High School in Oil City, Pennsylvania.[1] He played football and baseball.[2] In football, he played numerous positions, including tight end, quarterback, wide receiver, defensive end, and linebacker. He finished his career with a PIAA District 10 record 152 receptions for 2,591 yards. He was selected to play in the 2011 Under Armour All-America Game in St. Petersburg, Florida.[3]

Koyack was also a standout track & field athlete. He captured the state championship in the javelin with a throw of 61.92 meters (203 ft, 1 in). He also qualified for the district meet competing as a sprinter, posting bests of 11.49 seconds in the 100 meters and 24.05 seconds in the 200 meters.[4]

Koyack was ranked by Scout.com as a five-star recruit and the top tight end in his class.[5] He committed to the University of Notre Dame in April 2010 to play college football.[6]

College career

Koyack attended and played college football at Notre Dame from 2011–2014.[7] As a freshman in 2011, he played in 12 games with one start. He had one reception for five yards, which came against the Pitt Panthers, during the season.[8][9] As a sophomore in 2012, he again played in 12 games with one start. He finished the year with three receptions for 39 yards.[10] Koyack played in 13 games with five starts as a junior in 2013, finishing with 10 receptions for 171 yards and three touchdowns.[11] Koyack entered his senior season in 2014 as the starter.[12][13] During the game against Stanford, he caught a game-winning 22-yard touchdown from quarterback Everett Golson on fourth down.[14][15] He finished his senior season with 30 receptions for 317 yards and two touchdowns.[16]

Professional career

On December 22, 2014, it was announced that Koyack had accepted his invitation to play in the 2015 Senior Bowl.[17] Koyack impressed team representatives and scouts in practice while working with Tennessee Titans' tight ends coach Mike Mularkey.[18] On January 24, 2015, Koyack played in the Senior Bowl for Tennessee Titan's head coach Ken Whisenhunt's North team and caught two passes for 19-yards and a touchdown. He caught a 10-yard touchdown reception on pass from Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion in the second quarter of the North's 34-13 victory over the South.[19] He was one of 19 collegiate tight ends to attend the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. Koyack opted to not perform at the combine and only meet with representatives from NFL teams.[20] On March 31, 2015, Koyack attended Notre Dame's pro day along with 10 other teammates. Team representatives and scouts attended the pro day as he ran all of the combine drills.[21] His time of 4.79s in the 40-yard dash would've tied for fourth among all tight ends at the combine. His overall performance in combine drills was mediocre as his vertical ranked last of his position group and his bench press would've ranked ninth.[22] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Koyack was projected to be a fourth or fifth round pick by NFL experts and scouts. He was ranked as the seventh best tight end prospect by NFLDraftScout.com.[23]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 4 7⁄8 in
(1.95 m)		 255 lb
(116 kg)		 32 5⁄8 in
(0.83 m)		 10 3⁄4 in
(0.27 m)		 4.79 s 1.69 s 2.78 s 4.52 s 7.32 s 30 in
(0.76 m)		 9 ft 8 in
(2.95 m)		 16 reps
All values from Notre Dame's Pro Day[24]

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Koyack in the seventh round (229th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. He was the 14th tight end selected and the only player drafted from Notre Dame in 2015.[25][26]

2015

On May 14, 2015, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Koyack to a four-year $2.34 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $69,300.[27]

Throughout training camp, he competed against Clay Harbor, Nic Jacobs, and Connor Hamlett for a roster spot.[28] On September 4, 2015, he was waived as a part of the Jaguars final roster cuts. The Jacksonville Jaguars opted to have only four tight ends on their active roster, including Marcedes Lewis, Julius Thomas, Nic Jacobs, and Clay Harbor.[29] After clearing waivers, Koyack was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squad on September 6, 2015.[30] He spent his entire rookie season developing on the Jaguars' practice squad.

2016

On January 4, 2016, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Koyack to a reserve/futures contract.[31]

He competed with Nic Jacobs, Braedon Bowman, and Neal Sterling throughout training camp for a roster spot. He made the active roster and was named the backup tight end behind Marcedes Lewis and Julius Thomas to start the regular season.[32]

He made his professional regular season debut in the Jacksonville Jaguars' season-opening 27-23 loss to the Green Bay Packers.[33] On September 24, 2016, Koyack underwent successful surgery to repair a slight tear in his meniscus. He suffered the tear four days earlier during practice and was inactive for the next two games (Weeks 3-4).[34] On October 26, 2016, Koyack caught five passes for 41 yards during a 36-22 loss at the Tennessee Titans. His first career reception came in the fourth quarter on a seven-yard pass by quarterback Blake Bortles before being tackled by Titans' defensive backs Daimion Stafford and Antwon Blake.[35][36] Koyack saw an increased snap count after offensive coordinator Greg Olson was fired on October 29, 2016.[37] On November 13, 2016, he earned his first career start and caught three passes for 35-yards in a 24-21 loss to the Houston Texans.[38] Head coach Gus Bradley was fired after before Week 15 after the Jaguars posted a 2-12 record. He was replaced by assistant head coach/offensive line coach Doug Marrone. On January 1, 2017, Koyack had three receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown during a 24-20 loss at the Indianapolis Colts. He scored his first career touchdown during the game on a 14-yard pass by Blake Bortles.[39] Koyack finished the 2016 season with 19 receptions for 161 receiving yards and a touchdown in 14 games and seven starts.[40][41]

2017

Although the Jacksonville Jaguars traded Julius Thomas to the Miami Dolphins, Koyack still faced competition for the second tight end position from newly acquired free agent Mychal Rivera. Head coach Doug Marrone named him the Jaguars' second tight end behind longtime veteran Marcedes Lewis to start the season after Rivera was placed on injured reserve due to a lingering hand injury.[42][43]

On October 15, 2017, Koyack caught a 21-yard pass during a 27-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.[44] In Week 9, he made his first start of the season during the Jaguars' 23-7 win against the Cincinnati Bengals.[45] Overall, in the 2017 season, he finished with five receptions for 38 yards in 16 games.[46]

The Jaguars won the AFC South and made the playoffs.[47] On January 7, 2018, Koyack caught his first career postseason touchdown catch in a 10–3 victory over the Buffalo Bills.[48][49] In the Divisional Round, a 45–42 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had a 21-yard reception.[50] He appeared in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots, but the Jaguars season ended with a 24–20 loss.[51]

2018

On September 1, 2018, Koyack was waived/injured by the Jaguars and was placed on injured reserve.[52] He was released on September 8, 2018. He was re-signed by the Jaguars on November 12, 2018.[53]

2019

On September 1, 2019, Koyack was released by the Jaguars.[54] He was re-signed on October 9, 2019 after starting tight end, James O'Shaughnessy, suffered a season-ending torn ACL in a Week 5 loss to the Carolina Panthers.[55]

After becoming a free agent in March 2020, Koyack had a tryout with the Detroit Lions on August 15, 2020,[56] and with the Indianapolis Colts on August 18, 2020.[57]

References
  1. "Koyack hits right tune on the football field".
  2. PSU recruiting spotlight: Ben Koyack a rare talent Archived October 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Koyack to play in Under Armour All-American game Archived October 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "NFL, College Sports, NBA and Recruiting". cfn.scout.com.
  6. "Oil City Area TE Ben Koyack commits to Notre Dame".
  7. "Ben Koyack College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  8. "Notre Dame at Pitt Box Score, September 24, 2011". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  9. "Ben Koyack 2011 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  10. "Ben Koyack 2012 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  11. "Ben Koyack 2013 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  12. Notre Dame TE Koyack ready to ascend to starter's role Archived October 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  13. Notre Dame: Ben Koyack embraces added responsibility Archived July 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  14. "Stanford at Notre Dame Box Score, October 4, 2014". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  15. 'Don't drop it:' Ben Koyack comes up big for Notre Dame Archived October 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  16. "Ben Koyack 2014 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  17. Eric Hansen (December 22, 2017). "Notre Dame's Ben Koyack accepts invite to Senior Bowl". NDinsider.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  18. Arthur Arkush (January 24, 2015). "Notre Dame tight end Ben Koyack lauded for improvement during Senior Bowl week". ProFootballWeekly.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  19. "2015 Reese's Senior Bowl". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  20. Tyler James (March 31, 2015). "Former Notre Dame TE Ben Koyack proving passion with heavy workload". NDInsider.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  21. "2015 Fighting Irish Football Pro Day Coverage". und.com. March 31, 2015. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  22. James Brady (February 22, 2015). "NFL Combine 2015: Full results for tight ends". SBNation.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  23. "Ben Koyack, DS #7 TE, Notre Dame". nfldraftscout.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  24. "NFL Draft Profile: Ben Koyack". NFL.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  25. "Ben Koyack Chosen in NFL Draft". UND.com. May 2, 2015.
  26. "2015 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  27. "Recent news on Ben Koyack - Jacksonville Jaguars - Rotoworld.com". www.rotoworld.com.
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  29. "Roster moves: Eighteen done, four to go". Jaguars.com. September 4, 2015. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017.
  30. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  31. "Koyack, Wolff among nine players to sign futures contracts with Jaguars". USAToday.com. January 4, 2016.
  32. "Ourlads.com: Jacksonville Jaguars' depth chart: 10/01/2016". Ourlads.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  33. "Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars - September 11th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  34. Rotowire (September 24, 2015). "Jaguars' Ben Koyack: Undergoes knee surgery". CBSSports.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  35. "Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans - October 27th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  36. "NFL Game Center: Week 8-2016: Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans". Nfl.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  37. Hays Carlyon (November 15, 2016). "Jaguars failing to properly utilize TE Julius Thomas". Jacksonville.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  38. "Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars - November 13th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  39. "Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts - January 1st, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  40. "NFL Player stats: Ben Koyack (2016)". NFL.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  41. "Ben Koyack 2016 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  42. Ryan O'Halloran (September 1, 2017). "Jaguars cut 12, place Mychal Rivera on injured reserve". Jacksonville.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
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  50. "Divisional Round - Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers - January 14th, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  51. "AFC Championship - Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots - January 21st, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  52. Oehser, John (September 1, 2018). "Roster reduction: Jaguars move to 53 players". Jaguars.com.
  53. Williams, Charean (November 12, 2018). "Jaguars sign Ben Koyack, cut David Grinnage". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  54. Oehser, John (September 1, 2019). "Roster moves: Jaguars make four waiver claims". Jaguars.com.
  55. "Jaguars Sign TE Ben Koyack". Jaguars.com. October 9, 2019.
  56. @AlbertBreer (August 15, 2020). "Today's tryout/visit list" (Tweet). Retrieved August 21, 2020 – via Twitter.
  57. @AlbertBreer (August 18, 2020). "Today's tryout/visit list" (Tweet). Retrieved August 21, 2020 – via Twitter.
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