Ben Olson

Benjamen James Olson (born February 28, 1983, in Missoula, Montana) is an American football quarterback. He played for the UCLA Bruins football team. He excelled in football at Thousand Oaks High School, earning high school All-American honors in 2001.

High school career
Olson played quarterback for Thousand Oaks High School for four years. For three of those years, he played on the varsity team, alongside David Anderson.

In 2001, Olson was considered the top quarterback prospect and even top high school football recruit in the country following a highly productive senior year in which he threw for 2,989 yards and 32 touchdowns.

College career
Olson signed with Brigham Young University upon graduating from Thousand Oaks High School in 2002 and redshirted his freshman season. Olson then went on a two-year mission to Canada with the LDS Church.

Olson transferred to UCLA from BYU in 2005, where he spent the year behind senior Drew Olson (no relation) on the depth chart. Many BYU fans were disappointed by Olson's decision to transfer, but the excellent play by BYU's quarterbacks since Olson's departure has softened the blow.

Olson played in five games in 2006, completing 63.7% of his passes for 822 yards, 6.63 yards per attempt, 5 TDs and 5 INTs. Olson's season came to an end in the opening moments of his fifth start when he was injured. Though Olson regained his health, he did not regain the starting position that season.

Olson was named starting quarterback for the 2007 Season following the spring training. However, he was plagued, yet again, by injuries and only played in 6 games, completing only 48.3% of his passes for 1040 yards, 7.08 yards per attempt, 7 TDs and 6 INTs.

Entering the 2008 season, Olson was the presumptive starting quarterback after a career-ending knee injury to Patrick Cowan, the named starter during spring practice. However, on Saturday, August 9 Olson broke his foot and was sidelined. Olson, whose career has been marked by injuries, broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during practice, and X-rays taken Sunday, August 10 revealed the fracture. He suffered the same injury during spring practice. His broken right foot took longer than expected to heal and he finished his college football career without playing a game that year.

Professional career
Olson went undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Personal
Olson has one brother and three sisters and is married to the former Andrea Anderson in May 2007. He majored in history at UCLA. He is currently employed by OrangeSoda, an internet marketing firm located in American Fork, Utah.