Reese's Senior Bowl

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's University senior offensive lineman Ben Bartch (Dayton, Ore./Blanchet Catholic) is participating in the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl this week in Mobile, Ala. 

The Senior Bowl, an annual college All-Star game since 1951, showcases college players across the nation looking to attract attention for the NFL Draft. In 2019, 93 Senior Bowl participants were selected in the NFL Draft, the second most in the history of the game. 

The game kicks off at 12:30 p.m. CT Saturday, Jan. 25, in Ladd-Peebles Stadium and will be broadcast on the NFL Network. 

A member of the South team, which is coached by the Cincinnati Bengals' staff, Bartch is the only NCAA Division III student-athlete among the 118 roster spots. 

The South team practices Tuesday (Noon-1:30 p.m. CT), Wednesday (2-4 p.m. CT) and Thursday (2-4 p.m. CT) this week ahead of the game. All practices are open to the public and will be broadcast on ESPN and the NFL Network.

A D3football.com first-team and Associated Press second-team All-American in 2019, Bartch earned the MIAC Mike Stam Award as the conference's top defensive or offensive lineman and started all 14 games at left tackle this season. He made 27 straight starts at the position since he switched from tight end during the 2018 preseason.

Bartch played tight end his first two seasons as a Johnnie and caught four passes for 43 yards (10.8 avg.) and a touchdown in eight games in 2017. He switched to offensive tackle during the offseason and started on the left side immediately. His athleticism and size (6-foot-6, 305 pounds) attracted attention from all 32 NFL teams this fall.

Off the field, Bartch was honored during halftime of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Jan. 1 as a member of the 22-man Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team.