Ben Mauk Gary Benjamin " Ben " Mauk ( born January 4 , 1985 in Kenton , Ohio ) is an American football quarterback who was most recently the quarterback for the Cincinnati Commandos of the Continental Indoor Football League ( CIFL ) , and with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) . He completed his college football career in 2007 for the Cincinnati Bearcats . He attended high school at Kenton High School where he set national passing records as a senior . He then went on to play at Wake Forest , and then later transferred to Cincinnati at the conclusion of the 2006 season . High school . Mauk led the Kenton Wildcats to consecutive Ohio Division IV championships in 2001 and 2002 . At the completion of his senior season , Ben gained national recognition by winning the 2002 Ohio Mr . Football Award , 2002 Gatorade Ohio Football Player of the Year and the 2002 Art Tuion Award Winner . During his high school career , Mauk became one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in Ohio High School Athletics Association history . National records : Total Yards , Career 1st , 19 , 628 1999 - 2002 ( 17 , 364 passing , 2 , 264 rushing ) Total Yards , Season 1st , 7 , 928 2002 ( 6 , 540 passing , 1 , 388 rushing ) 2nd , 6 , 727 2001 ( 5 , 770 passing , 957 rushing ) Total Yards , Per Game 1st , 528 . 5 2002 ( 7 , 928 / 15 ) 2nd , 448 . 5 2001 ( 6 , 727 / 15 ) 5th , 395 . 5 2000 ( 3 , 955 / 10 ) Passing yards per game 1st , 436 . 0ypg ( 2002 ) 4th , 384 . 7ypg ( 2001 ) Most Passing Attempts , Career 1st , 1 , 905 ( 1999 – 2002 ) Most Passing Attempts , Season 1st , 674 ( 2001 ) 2nd , 669 ( 2002 ) Most Passing Attempts , Per Game 4th , 44 . 9 2001 ( 674 / 15 ) 5th , 44 . 6 2002 ( 669 / 15 ) Most Completions , Career 2nd , 1 , 095 ( 1999 – 2002 ) Most Completions , Season 2nd , 413 ( 2002 ) 3rd , 369 ( 2001 ) Most Completions , Per Game 3rd , 27 . 5 ( 2002 ) 9th , 24 . 6 ( 2001 ) TD Passes , Career 2nd , 178 ( 1999 – 2002 ) TD Passes , Season 2nd , 76 ( 2002 ) 12th , 60 ( 2001 ) Passing Yards , Career 1st , 17 , 364 ( 1999 – 2002 ) Passing Yards , Season 1st , 6 , 540 ( 2002 ) 2nd , 5 , 770 ( 2001 ) 57th , 3 , 936 ( 2000 ) Mauk committed to Wake Forest University on July 8 , 2003 . Mauk wasn ' t heavily recruited as he also had two other FBS scholarship offers from Kent State and Bowling Green . College . Wake Forest . He was redshirted his first season , in 2003 . In 2004 , Ben played in ten games , while starting three . Against Clemson University , on his first collegiate snap , he set the record for longest touchdown pass in Wake history , at 85 yards . He led the Deacons to a 4 - 7 overall record and was named to The Sporting News ' s ACC All - Freshman Team . In 2005 , he played in ten games , and started seven ; the Deacons had another 4 - 7 season . In 2006 , Mauk suffered an injury to his right ( throwing ) arm in the first game against Syracuse . Mauk attempted to recover a fumble in the third quarter when two Orange players fell on the arm . He suffered a fractured humerus , a dislocated shoulder , and a torn labrum . Shortly after the injury , he underwent reconstructive surgery in which surgeons put a titanium plate with eight screws in his upper arm and installed three anchors in the shoulder . The Deacons , with redshirt freshman Riley Skinner taking over for Mauk , would go on to finish 11 - 3 , winning their first ACC Championship Game , and on to the school ' s first BCS game in the Orange Bowl , in which the Deacons would lose to the Louisville Cardinals . Cincinnati . Because of Mauk ' s reconstructive surgery , it was doubtful that Wake Forest would let Mauk compete for playing time at Wake in 2007 . He decided to take advantage of an NCAA rule , since rescinded , that allowed graduate students with remaining athletic eligibility to transfer and become immediately eligible . Mauk chose the University of Cincinnati primarily because it was close to his hometown and new coach Brian Kelly was installing a spread offense similar to the one he ran in high school . The major question was whether his arm would improve enough to allow him to play . For his part , Kelly was not sure whether Mauk could come back ; he had the Bearcats ' medical team contact the physicians who performed Mauk ' s surgery , and required that he pass a physical examination with emphasis on the throwing arm . Ultimately , Kelly decided to bring Mauk in , figuring that if nothing else , Mauk could serve as a mentor for the Bearcats ' younger quarterbacks who would have to adjust to the spread offense . Mauk , who was named the starting quarterback over junior Dustin Grutza , was trying to lead the Bearcats to their first winning season in the Big East . The Bearcats jumped out ahead early , winning all five non - conference games . They then entered Big East play , with Mauk leading them to victories over Syracuse , UConn , USF , and Rutgers . Mauk and the Bearcats finished with a 10 - 3 overall record , capping their season and Mauk ' s college career with a 31 - 21 win over Southern Miss in the 2007 PapaJohn ' s . com Bowl in which Mauk threw for 334 yards and 4 TD ' s , becoming the game ' s MVP . This gave the Bearcats their first 10 - win season since 1951 , and virtually assured them a spot in the season - ending national rankings for the first time ever . Mauk , called by his Cincinnati teammates the " Bionic Man " due to the various metallic objects installed in his arm , proved to be an inspiration to them . Bearcats safety Haruki Nakamura said about Mauk , " The first time I saw the scar , I was like : ' What is that ? Did you get a shark bite ? ' For someone to endure that sort of pain is unbelievable . To do what he ' s done this year is great . He ' s definitely become an impact player on this team . " Mauk tried to gain one more year of eligibility for the 2008 season . However , he was turned down by the NCAA . Mauk appealed his case a final time via teleconference ; on September 3 , 2008 he learned that had been denied On September 9 , 2008 , Hardin County Judge William Hart refused to grant a permanent injunction against the NCAA that would have allowed Ben Mauk to rejoin the Bearcats . Professional . Saskatchewan Roughriders . In September 2008 , Mauk signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League . He was released in October following an injury . Cincinnati Commandos . Mauk was the quarterback for Cincinnati ' s indoor football team , the Cincinnati Commandos . In his first season with the team ( 2010 ) , he started 9 regular season games and threw for 52 touchdowns and 1631 yards , both league highs , capturing the CIFL MVP and CIFL Championship Game MVP awards as the Commandos went 11 - 1 and won the league championship . In his 2nd season , he played in just 2 games , completing 10 of 17 passes for 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions . During his 2nd game , he was ejected for an illegal hit after throwing an interception . As a result , Mauk was suspended by the league for 2 games . Tampa Bay Storm . Mauk was invited to try out with the Tampa Bay Storm in 2011 . He left the team for medical reasons and was released on February 23 .