Ben Cleveland

Ben Cleveland's Biography

Born on August 25, 1998, Benjamin Keith Cleveland has made quite the impact within the realm of professional American football. Better known as Ben Cleveland, he currently stands as an esteemed guard player for the renowned team, the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are part of the world-renowned National Football League (NFL).

Before his time in the NFL, Cleveland played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. He demonstrated his skills and prowess in the game during that stage. However, his journey to the top would prove to be ambitious and wrought with dedication and hard work. It was while still at Georgia that the third round of the 2021 NFL draft witnessed his name being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens.

Prior to his college career, Cleveland came from humble beginnings in Toccoa, a small town in Georgia. He attended Stephens County High School, where he developed a passion for baseball and football, eventually leading to his future professional football career. His talent was recognized at an early age, with Cleveland being rated a four-star recruit. He then committed to play college football at Georgia during the summer before his junior season.

In his true freshman season, Cleveland redshirted. This decision allowed him to maximize his player eligibility. However, this redshirted freshman was later seen playing in all 15 of Georgia’s games. Notably, he started during the final five games, which included the big-ticket 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game.

In his redshirt sophomore season, a streak of bad luck with an injury resulted in Cleveland missing six games. However, even with this limitation, he managed to initiate eight games. As a redshirt junior, he played in 13 games, with seven starts at right guard.

Staging a return to the full-time starter position at right guard in his final season at Georgia after recovering from his injury, Cleveland quickly became a force to be reckoned with. His performance during the 2020 season, despite the shortened game schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, landed him a spot in the first-team All-Southeastern Conference. He even got named as a third-team All-American by the Associated Press after starting in nine games.
The next chapter in his career saw him selected in the third round with the 94th overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Intriguingly, the Ravens obtained this 94th overall pick via a trade that sent another player, Orlando Brown Jr., to the Kansas City Chiefs.

On July 20, 2021, Cleveland put pen to paper and signed a four-year rookie contract that was worth $4.8 million. A day later, at the start of the training camp on July 21, 2021, Cleveland found himself placed on the active/non-football injury list.

Cleveland’s journey in his rookie year was marked with a significant setback on October 12, 2021. During Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland suffered a knee injury that led to his placement on injured reserve. However, on November 20, 2021, demonstrating the phenomenal resilience he has exhibited throughout his career, Cleveland returned and was activated to the active roster from injured reserve.

This comprehensive overview encapsulates Benjamin Keith Cleveland’s triumphant journey, thus far detailing his hard work, passion and dedication that has helped him successfully compete on the dynamic platform of professional American football.