Move to Purdue, Big Ten not too big for former NAIA golfer Ben Farrell
Life moves pretty fast. That’s the case for Ben Farrell.
This time last year, he was lining up against the likes of Olivet Nazarene, Taylor and some school called Madonna as a starting offensive lineman at NAIA Indiana Wesleyan.
Last Saturday, Farrell found himself locking up with Ohio State standout defensive ends JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer.
“No, that wasn’t even on my radar (last year),” he said, “to even think about doing something like that. Playing smaller schools, we always wondered: What is Ohio State doing? What’s Purdue doing? How are they doing this weekend? To even just be a part of this, I never thought of doing something like that.”
Yet, here he is. This is a good time to stop and look around. Farrell doesn’t want to miss any of it.
The Grand Rapids, Mich., native finds himself starting at right offensive tackle, a role he took over last week vs. the Buckeyes after Marcus Mbow suffered a season-ending ankle injury the week before at Iowa, a game Farrell finished in Mbow’s place.
Farrell looks poised to start again when the Boilermakers (2-5 overall; 1-3 Big Ten) play at Nebraska (4-3, 2-2) at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1 this Saturday.
But, wait: Farrell’s story gets even better. The 6-4, 310-pounder began his career as a golfer in 2018 at NAIA Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich. During Thanksgiving break that fall, Farrell ran into a former high school football teammate who was playing at Indiana Wesleyan. That sparked Farrell to make the unconventional flip from the links to the gridiron.
He transferred to Indiana Wesleyan in 2020 where he was a fixture for three years before moving to Purdue in 2023 where he will play his final season of college sports.
“Yeah, thank God we got him, right?” said Ryan Walters. “He’s obviously big and athletic and bought into the culture, and has progressed throughout the course of the season.
“I think (offensive line) Coach (Marcus) Johnson has done a good job mentoring him and getting him to play at a high level. So, we’re definitely glad we got him. He’s actually been playing well for us in the times he’s been in there.”
But golf still runs through his veins. Farrell says when he’s in a groove, he is a six or seven handicap. Is he the best golfer on the team?
“Hudson’s pretty good,” said Farrell of Purdue quarterback Hudson Card. “But, yeah, I’d say (I’m the best golfer on the team).”
Now, his focus is on moving 300-pounders, not smashing tiny golf balls. Does his golf background ever come in handy on the gridiron?
“I guess more the aspect of staying calm, that kind of stuff,” he said. “When I’m over hyped, over overworked, really stressed, I definitely think about mentally going to play a quick nine holes. That definitely calms me down and helps me relax a little bit in high-pressure situations, that’s for sure.”
Farrell will face a few more high-pressure situations this season.
MORE: The 3-2-1: Peek at future | Coming off bye, Purdue in ‘playoff mode’ as it makes postseason push | First and 10: Purdue at Nebraska | First look: Nebraska
