LSU Gold

#55 Ben Wilkerson Season 2024

Position
Center
Height
6'4
Weight
297
Class
Senior
Hometown
Hemphill, Texas
High School
Hemphill HS

2004 Rimington Trophy Winner
2004 First-Team All-America (American Football Coaches Association, The Sporting News)
2004 Second-Team All-America (Walter Camp)
2004 First-Team All-SEC (AP, SEC Coaches, Collegefootballnews.com)
2004 SEC Good Works Team
2003 Rimington Trophy Finalist
2003 Second-Team All-America (Associated Press, Sporting News)
2003 First-Team All-SEC (AP, ESPN.com)
2003 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2001 Freshman All-SEC (Knoxville News-Sentinel, Coaches) * 2001 Second-Team Freshman All-America (The Sporting News)

SENIOR SEASON (2004)
Named the co-recipient, along with David Baas of Michigan, of the Rimington Trophy this year as college football’s top center … Is only the third football player in LSU history to receive a national award joining running back Billy Cannon (1959 Heisman Trophy) and Josh Reed (2001 Biletnikoff Award) … Won the Rimington Trophy, as well as being named first-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association and The Sporting News, despite missing the last 3 games of the season with a knee injury … Started 41 career games before suffering a torn patella tendon in his left knee against Vanderbilt on Oct. 30 … Underwent successful knee surgery, but will not play again this season … Started first 8 games in 2004 for the Tigers … Has 41 career starts with the Tigers going 33-8 over that span.

JUNIOR SEASON (2003)
One of the nation’s top centers … Named one of six finalists for the Remington Award in 2003, which goes to college football’s top center … Named Second-Team All-America by the Sporting News and the Associated Press … Named First-Team All-SEC at center by AP and ESPN.com … Started all 14 games for the Tigers … Saw action in 991 plays, the second-most of any player on the team … Allowed only three sacks and called for just three penalties all year … In 991 snaps, was marked down for just 10 bad snaps … Went from week seven to the Sugar Bowl with only three bad snaps … Had 13 pancakes and 87 knockdowns for the Tigers.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2002)
Started 10 of 13 games for the Tigers in 2002 … Sat out the Cotton Bowl with a back injury … Snapped on field goals and PATs as well … Missed The Citadel and Miami (Ohio) games with a combination knee/ankle injury … Extremely smart and gifted player … Named to the SEC Good Works Team … Played 620 snaps in 2002 and did not allow a sack all season … Had only three bad snaps all year and was whistled for just three penalties.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2001)
True freshman who won the starting role at center for the Tigers … Named Second-Team Freshman All-America by the Sporting News and earned Freshman All-SEC honors by both the AP and the Coaches … Emerged as LSU’s starting center vs. Kentucky when injuries forced Rob Sale to move from center to right guard … Played well enough to keep the position … Started final nine games of the season for the Tigers, including the Sugar Bowl … LSU posted an 8-1 mark with Wilkerson starting at center … Also snapped on PAT and FG attempts … In all, played in 11 games with nine starts.

HIGH SCHOOL
Called by many as the top offensive line prospect in America … Named All-American by Parade, USA Today, Rivals.com, Superprep, ESPN, and The Sporting News … Rated as the No. 21 overall prospect in the nation by Tom Lemming of ESPN.com … Recorded 121 pancake blocks as a senior and graded out at over 95 percent for the year … Helped team averaged 399 rushing yards a contest and 9.2 yards per carry … Listed as the No. 16 prep prospect according to SuperPrep … Rated among Max Emfinger’s top 125 national prospects as well as the Dallas Morning News’ top 100 for the nation … Member of Dave Campbell’s Texas Super Team … Earned first team All-District, All-County and All-State honors … Coached by Larry Upshaw.

PERSONAL
Full name is Benjamin Lorenza Wilkerson … Goes by Ben … Born November 22, 1982 in Port Arthur, Texas … Parents are Charles and Vermykia Proctor … Has four brothers, Demarcus, Charles, Trey and Celvin and three sisters, Brandi, Diamond, and Allanah … Favorite book is Shakespeare’s Othello … Wears #55 because that’s the same number is grandfather wore during his prep days at Hemphill High … Majoring in general studies.

 

Full Bio