You know that you have something special when opposing teams shy away from running plays in a certain direction because of a defensive players' ability to consistently make stops. That was the case for the Falcons in the late nineties as Ben Nassar led the Bentley defensive line for four seasons.
"Ben was a great pass rusher and played the run very tough," said former Falcon head football coach Peter Yetten, himself a member of the Bentley Athletic Hall of Fame. "He was a real tough kid to fool; you didn't see many teams trying to option him or running a boot or a waggle to his side. Probably his best attribute was that he was very smart. You combine that with the fact that he was very quick and naturally strong, and you have a very good football player."
The North Andover, Massachusetts native had an immediate impact on the field his freshman season, making 42 tackles, 20 of which were solo stops. He led the team with ten-and-a-half sacks and also was credited with 19 tackles that resulted in a loss. He was a key component of a defense that only allowed an opponent to score over twenty points once in eleven games and posted two shutouts. The Falcons finished 10-1 in 1995 and captured the ECAC IFC Division II Bowl with a 46-3 rout of Stonehill.
The following year, Ben continued to put up impressive numbers. He established a school record with 15.5 sacks and made a total of 43 tackles, 24 behind the line of scrimmage. He was rewarded for his contributions when he was named the ECFC Lineman of the Year and was honored as an All-New England selection.
A known commodity by his junior year, Ben continued to put up impressive numbers despite offenses that were geared at stopping his influence. Serving as a tri-captain, he recorded 48 tackles, 19 for losses in leading a defense that recorded three shutouts. Ben was named the Eastern Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year, awarded the Zabilski Defensive Award and selected as a first-team ECAC Division II All-Star and a second team member of the Daktronics Division II Northeast Region team.
"Ben played against a lot of big-big guys, but he was able to use his quickness and very good moves to put up the number of sacks and tackles for losses that he did," said Yetten. "He was an extremely tough kid and formed a devastating pair of ends with Billy Tucker.”
Serving as a tri-captain for the second consecutive season, Ben guided the Falcons to an 8-2 record during his senior campaign. He made a career high 54 tackles, 21 of which were without assistance from a teammate. He recorded nine more sacks, moving his career total to 40.5 - a total that is easily the most recorded by a Bentley player during the varsity era. Ben was once again named the Eastern Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year and awarded the Zabilski Defensive Award.
"Ben was probably one of the best, if not the best defensive end we've ever had," praised Coach Yetten before Ben’s 2002 induction. "He was respected by everyone in the league. He was a real pleasure to coach. He really set the bar for the defensive ends that we have had here, speed and quickness and being a good football player. He had all of those attributes and had a good sense of humor; he was a really fun kid to coach every day."
