Ben Nikkel
| No. 34 – Indianapolis Colts | |
|---|---|
| Position | Safety |
| Roster status | Practice squad |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 24, 1999 McPherson, Kansas, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | McPherson |
| College |
|
| NFL draft | 2024: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Ben Nikkel (born September 24, 1999) is an American professional football safety for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the McPherson Bulldogs and Iowa State Cyclones.
Early life
Nikkel was born September 24, 1999 in McPherson, Kansas.[1][2] He attended McPherson High School, graduating in 2018. Nikkel played on the school's football team as a wide receiver and defensive back.[3]
College career
Nikkel enrolled at McPherson College to play college football for the McPherson Bulldogs. He played wide receiver for three season from 2018 to 2020, recording 107 receptions for 1,570 yards and 14 touchdowns in that time.[3] Nikkel was a team captain and a two-time all-conference selection at McPherson.[4] He then transferred to play for the Iowa State Cyclones. He played defensive back and special teams as a walk-on at Iowa State. He redshirted in 2021 before being awarded a scholarship and being named a team captain in 2023.[3][5][6] Nikkel played in all 12 games in 2022 and recorded three tackles; in 2023, he played in 12 games with two starts, recording 40 tackles, one tackle for loss, and three pass breakups, as well as a blocked punt recovery.[4]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+1⁄4 in (1.84 m) |
199 lb (90 kg) |
30+5⁄8 in (0.78 m) |
9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) |
4.45 s | 1.50 s | 2.56 s | 4.10 s | 6.82 s | 39.5 in (1.00 m) |
11 ft 4 in (3.45 m) |
15 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[7][8] | ||||||||||||
Nikkel was not selected in the 2024 NFL draft. He was signed to the practice squad of the Washington Commanders on October 22, 2024, and the Commanders signed him to a future contract on January 28, 2025. He was released from the Commanders on August 26.[1] The Indianapolis Colts signed Nikkel to the team's practice squad on August 28.[9]
References
- ^ a b "Ben Nikkel Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ "Ben Nikkel, Indianapolis Colts, DB". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on September 13, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ a b c Gillespie, Lane (April 28, 2024). "Former McPherson High & College Football Star Signs with NFL's Washington Commanders". Ad Astra Radio. Archived from the original on March 27, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ a b "Ben Nikkel". Iowa State University Athletics. Archived from the original on December 21, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ Gray, Rob (August 11, 2023). "Former NAIA transfer Ben Nikkel embraces 'controlled chaos' as Iowa State special teams standout". The Gazette. Archived from the original on December 21, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ Osen, Nick (August 10, 2023). "Senior safety Ben Nikkel details memorable week, earning scholarship from the Cyclones". 247Sports. Archived from the original on December 21, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ "Ben Nikkel, SS, Iowa State". DraftScout.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ "Ben Nikkel RAS". RAS.Football. Archived from the original on December 21, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ Arthur, Jake (August 28, 2025). "Colts Sign Receiver with Ties to Alec Pierce, Brian Mason". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on August 29, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.