Countdown to Kickoff: Ben Grubbs is the Saints Player of Day 66
There are 66 days that remain before the New Orleans Saints start their 59th year of NFL existence and 2025 regular season. Kellen Moore will be the team's new head coach this year as the Saints look to improve on a 5-12 record from a year ago. There are no current New Orleans players wearing No. 66. With that in mind, former standout offensive lineman Ben Grubbs is our choice for Saints Player of the Day. Here's a closer look at Grubbs' background and career.
An attendee of Elmore High School in Alabama, Grubbs was a star linebacker and fullback on the football team as well as a basketball standout. He was recruited to Auburn as a defensive end but redshirted in 2002 as he added bulk for a move to the defensive line. During his 2003 season, Grubbs was moved from the defensive side to tight end, where he played sparingly in nine games.
Grubbs changed positions again at Auburn, this time kicking inside to guard during the 2004 offseason. The Tigers went undefeated that season, with Grubbs starting all 25 games during 2004 and 2005. Grubbs capped off his Auburn career in 2006 with a first-team All-SEC selection and second-team All-American accolades. It was enough to make him the 29th overall choice in Round 1 of the 2007 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He was the only interior offensive lineman to be drafted in the opening round.
Grubbs was instantly a starter on the Ravens front line, earning a spot on the 2007 All-Rookie Team. He'd play five years with the Ravens, playing in 74 of 80 games and making 70 starts. His 2011 season in Baltimore earned him the first Pro Bowl honors of his career.
During free agency in 2013, Grubbs was signed by the New Orleans Saints to a five-year contract for $36 million. He played every snap at left guard for New Orleans in 2013, earning his second Pro Bowl in the process. Grubbs remained with the Saints for three seasons. Over that span, he never missed a start or even a single snap while logging over 3,300 offensive plays.
During the 2015 offseason, New Orleans traded Grubbs to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a Round 5 draft choice. Grubbs would play the final season of his NFL career that year, starting seven games until a season-ending injury and getting released at the end of the year. Ben Grubbs played a total of 48 regular season games for the Saints. It is the second most for any New Orleans player that has worn the No. 66.
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