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Ben Ellefson

Ben Ellefson
Minnesota Vikings
Position:Offensive assistant
Personal information
Born: (1996-09-01) September 1, 1996 (age 28)
Hawley, Minnesota, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school:Hawley
College:North Dakota State (2015–2019)
NFL draft:2020: undrafted
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:4
Receiving yards:36
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Benjamin Ellefson (born September 1, 1996)[1] is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Dakota State Bison before playing in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings.

College career

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Ellefson played college football for the North Dakota State Bison. During his senior season, Ellefson caught 15 passes for 199 yards and five touchdowns.[2] He was also a noted blocker during the team's running game. Ellefson finished his college career with 35 receptions for 463 yards and 16 touchdowns, a program record for tight ends.[3]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span
6 ft 3+1⁄8 in
(1.91 m) 		249 lb
(113 kg) 		32+3⁄8 in
(0.82 m) 		10+1⁄4 in
(0.26 m)
All values from Pro Day[4]

Jacksonville Jaguars

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Ellefson went undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft, and was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars.[5][6] He was waived during final roster cuts on September 5, 2020,[7] and signed to the team's practice squad the next day.[8] He was elevated to the active roster ahead of the team's 2020 season opener against the Indianapolis Colts on September 12,[9] and reverted to the practice squad after the game.[10] He was elevated again on September 19 for the team's week 2 game against the Tennessee Titans, and reverted to the practice squad after the game.[11] He was placed on the practice squad/COVID-19 list by the team on October 17, 2020,[12] and was activated back to the practice squad on October 22.[13] He was promoted to the active roster on October 22.[14] He was placed on injured reserve on December 5.[15]

On August 31, 2021, Ellefson was waived by the Jaguars.[16]

Minnesota Vikings

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On September 1, 2021, Ellefson was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Vikings.[17] He was placed on injured reserve on October 28 with knee and foot injuries.[18] He was activated on January 8, 2022.[19]

On October 8, 2022, Ellefson was placed on injured reserve.[20] He was activated on November 30. He was placed back on injured reserve on December 7.[21]

On June 1, 2023, Ellefson announced his retirement from professional football.[22]

Coaching career

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Five days after retiring as a player, Ellefson was added to the Vikings' coaching staff as an Offensive Assistant.[23] Following a series of injuries and multiple surgeries that left him unable to continue playing at a high level, Ellefson met with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell to discuss his future. At just 26 years old, Ellefson told O’Connell he could no longer physically play, but expressed a strong desire to stay involved with the game — even if that meant starting by “picking up coffees for coaches.”[24]

Impressed by Ellefson's character and passion for football, O’Connell brought him into the organization without a clearly defined role. Over the next year, Ellefson immersed himself in coaching, working with the Vikings' tight ends and contributing to game planning, play charting, and run game preparation. [25]

Ellefson’s inspiration to coach was shaped early by his tight ends coach at North Dakota State, Tyler Roehl, who taught him the importance of technique and discipline. As he developed in his new role, Ellefson embraced the demanding nature of coaching and was promoted to an offensive assistant. He continues to grow on the Vikings' staff, known for his attention to detail, strong work ethic, and ability to connect with players.[26]


References

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  1. ^ "Ben Ellefson Stats, News, Bio". ESPN. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  2. ^ "Ben Ellefson: Joining Jacksonville". CBSSports.com. April 26, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  3. ^ Peterson, Eric (January 19, 2020). "NFL Draft analyst says Bison tight end Ellefson 'trending in the right direction'". INFORUM. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  4. ^ "2020 Draft Scout Ben Ellefson, North Dakota State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  5. ^ Uglem, Ross (April 25, 2020). "Jaguars sign NDSU TE Ben Ellefson as a UDFA". BisonReport.com. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  6. ^ Miller, Chase (April 25, 2020). "Ben Ellefson signs with Jacksonville, Zack Johnson signs with Green Bay". The Mighty 790 KFGO. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  7. ^ Oehser, John (September 5, 2020). "Roster Reduction: Jaguars move to 53 players". Jaguars.com. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  8. ^ Peterson, Eric (September 6, 2020). "Multiple former Bison players signed to NFL practice squads". INFORUM. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  9. ^ Harvey, Demetrius (September 12, 2020). "Jaguars elevate two rookies to active roster". Big Cat Country. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  10. ^ "Ben Ellefson: Drops to practice roster". CBSSports.com. September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  11. ^ Johnson, James (September 19, 2020). "Jags promote Ben Ellefson from practice squad to active roster". USAToday.com. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  12. ^ DiRocco, Michael (October 17, 2020). "Jaguars close facility and place 12 practice-squad players, Josh Mauro on reserve/COVID-19 list". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  13. ^ Williams, Charean (October 22, 2020). "Jaguars remove 11 players from reserve/COVID-19". NBCSports.com. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  14. ^ "Jaguars Make Roster Moves". Jaguars.com. October 22, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  15. ^ "Jaguars Make Roster Moves". Jaguars.com. December 5, 2020.
  16. ^ "Roster Moves: Jaguars Reduce Roster to 53". Jaguars.com. August 31, 2021. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  17. ^ Peters, Craig (September 1, 2021). "Vikings Claim TE Ben Ellefson & Sign 14 to Practice Squad". Vikings.com.
  18. ^ "Vikings Place TE Ben Ellefson on Injured Reserve". Vikings.com. October 30, 2021.
  19. ^ "Vikings Activate Christian Darrisaw & Ezra Cleveland, Make Multiple Roster Moves". Vikings.com. January 8, 2022.
  20. ^ Peters, Craig (October 8, 2022). "Roster Moves: Vikings Sign Myles Dorn to 53; Place Ben Ellefson on IR". Vikings.com.
  21. ^ "Vikings Place CB Akayleb Evans and TE Ben Ellefson on IR". Vikings.com. December 7, 2022.
  22. ^ Peters, Craig (June 6, 2023). "Vikings Tight End Ben Ellefson Announces Retirement". Vikings.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  23. ^ "Days after retiring, Vikings' TE Ben Ellefson joins team's football staff". CBS Minnesota. June 6, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  24. ^ "Matthew Coller: Ben Ellefson has found his second dream job on Vikings coaching staff". SI.com. November 10, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  25. ^ https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/matthew-coller-ben-ellefson-has-found-his-second-dream-job-on-vikings-coaching-staff-01jc9sraxgqf
  26. ^ https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/matthew-coller-ben-ellefson-has-found-his-second-dream-job-on-vikings-coaching-staff-01jc9sraxgqf
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