Gopher OT Ben Lauer Named to Football Writers Association of America All-Freshman Team

The FWAA named Ben Lauer to their first team All-Freshman Team.  This is pretty high praise for the redshirt freshman who started four games for the Gophers at left tackle.  The Gopher release...

Offensive lineman Ben Lauer has been named to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-America Team, announced today.

The native of Plymouth, Minn., started four games at left tackle during the 2013 season. He then rotated with senior Ed Olson for the remaining six games. Lauer helped protect for a Gopher offense that generated 343.3 yards per game. He was named to ESPN,com's Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

The FWAA Freshman All-America Team was selected by a 10-person panel of nationally prominent writers led by Mike Griffith of the MLive Media Group. Both true freshmen and redshirt freshmen were considered for the team.

Hats off to the Gopher football staff for offering a scholarship to Lauer who was lightly recruited and unranked out of high school.  But mostly, congrats to the Wayzata native who obviously has worked hard and has developed into a talented young lineman for the Gophers.