JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?(!EPINRPE (J( (AEPQ(AT]VGELڮWCSңZJS׏jM\qWvg]mssp SEybL+G^k;;%SRRPIKI@ŠJ((QEr 0̛ͅ0Xw_53m4JF\:tmT64vˌ8>,FhzsKGy-ׁ_8ȷ=?6m-ųso:iLEɁ1oqѵ߸vzܒCf)2 rCFks(QE%Q@Q@J(l-!ZXinڣeƜѬ ">ޣ5[AC~і+($:N1PAiŶh'nGCW^? ΓIcgj Q] =UR9orx?+c 4F:ַ )T -kJC泐yO ׹dz\7ĝMiESUͩ;; r[N\6C]-x6K$|;+⹄%PGufL5VE%QEQE% JSI@Q@a5/Idiqˣ0nV?+K֧GM[;,3RLRdVI'~ P|FOƣ(|9® g]%\7>÷֟oI0[cDyخrl[ռY9G"!tXz5+kG23+9!:Ġ-V%Π!|ۉBCҊBVӴl|d0@8zWOmXEa{kKmqqLw&=6mR[;֒#[5 ˱x^>fP%k&/ B`yVVvn]n1µ~c\.?uA7&Z]ꋰ)QG,ET{Br> \U~C[9][,wǭr[֯Y^,3ݼWM2"@vy^=#"HǏj'&p&sՎ=+FORPE zDP빔⹠vgMVn4SN泘GS0sVJۿrHrN9+Hw;W_\fV "Fj[PHT:*{{f6Y{ڭ}⏷Z>g❓ZItSzSIueu䁓5 y7à<6"V#npqҜ4؇Um7aKO3Mֶ 8n!mrPzB` $R^2#:sCǻdx8E\{iц c%vpY{E%"f\W9")(P@8O~NұViyVr nj[nY-]Ic4G_(Gr:ʱխlmUx(X@23uM37cǮkug&,pK BڳVKqn3`VDKyHN_pSdbNd"x#f#U3XOYb0PAo[r^`uF#tOz\G8jdžT!:akHѾh71t* d#YmnA푊o@nlT 1b18q\\y;P k-an9]7 ([kr;StHJ ֦[}.pT IGi6'YJp2y I4芫=p+c[ӠYm1!S P-$y#vn8iR.ʅJ 99x {PA1Ecqoj+eLmH*[]\奼>ș68!X2`pIh?kOId؎Xp>Ҥ:L$w8&6kQŮ`G綊 %xF]LazS}Y3Iu$aA*K#H|1R2IWQϖȠۮ3ʹT,lnɕU˚"fF zY/)Z02c\mJ^D{?Cl|0Č9iDD t$ֺR  j%-S 0B3Jhm]$\Kz2DїfvB9LU* #6qH >m\ridkܥюX @iro2|Qr׻G c[6p3Y眒,P-(3OzKH\sT޶D7WSZ T0p@3X"+T[iVIdrO'z~hc8iT{VE2_e'1oXDr  0FyCEq?U¶eF\1Ben was 6-4 and only 220 pounds at Wayzata High School in Minnesota. He had a 400 parallel squat and ran a 5.4 forty. He was a USA Today Honorable Mention All-America and an All-State selection. Ben also lettered in tennis and was an honor roll student. However, the University of Minnesota was his only big-time college offer. Says Ben,  I was optimistic, but I knew I had to work hard to become bigger, faster and stronger. <br>By the 2000 season, Ben had achieved a 385 Bench, a 390 Hang Clean, a 330 Power Clean, a 525 Parallel Squat, a 5.0 forty and a 32.5 Vertical Jump. He can dunk a basketball now at 280 pounds. Coach Hartman says,  Ben numbers aren t as great as some others but what sets him apart is his athleticism and flexibility. So he is a great athlete who has gotten continually stronger and better. <br>Ben was a 1999 All-American and a pre-season 2000 All-American. He has also been selected as a 2000 Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award Candidate. Ben states,  While growing up in Wayzata, playing for the University of Minnesota was always a dream for me. After my freshman year, I wasn t sure what to expect for the rest of my college career because of coaching changes. But, Coach Mason came in and changed the attitudes and expectations of Gopher football. I am very proud that I was part of transforming this program back into a winner. <br>Ben believes that hard work has gotten him where he is.  I ve used goal setting, says Ben.  Goals help you to stay focused. On a big day in the weight room or on the football field, I visualize being successful. I visualize beating the weight. I do the same in football by visualizing great execution. <br>The most inspirational person in Ben s life has been his father.  He has always been there for me, says Ben.  My father has been a good example. Ben s father was a former Minnesota Viking offensive lineman. He taught Ben well. Ben is the first offensive lineman to be named All-American since Outland Trophy winner Bobby Bell in 1962. <br>Ben red-shirted his first year and was a Scholar-Athlete winner. He started as a freshman in 1997 in all 12 games and was an All-Big Ten selection. The next year Ben was a pre-season honorable mention All-American. In addition to being a first team All-American last year, Ben was named the team s Paul Giel award winner, which honors the player who exhibits total unselfishness and most concern about the University of Minnesota. <br>One of the pre-season teams that Ben made was the Playboy All-American team. He turned them down.  My relationship with God is the most important thing in my life, explained Ben.  Turning down Playboy was hard because lineman don t get many honors. But I didn t want to give a mixed message. If you are a Christian, you shoul