Niesner Named PFL Special Teams Player of the Week
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Niesner Named PFL Special Teams Player of the Week
Ben Niesner was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time in his career.

Valparaiso University football fifth-year senior Ben Niesner (Black Diamond, Wash. / Tahoma [Portland State]) was recognized by the Pioneer Football League following his best statistical performance in a Valpo uniform in Saturday’s game at St. Thomas.

The Spring 2021 co-PFL Special Teams Player of the Year boasted a career-best 53.2 yards per punt average on six attempts this week, launching four punts of 50-plus yards and all six 40 yards or more. His performance marked the 10th-best single-game punting average in Division-I FCS this season.

Niesner’s biggest boot of the day was a 63 yarder that represented his season long. With his successful Saturday in St. Paul, Niesner’s season average is up to 43.7 yards per punt. He ranks 17th nationally in Division-I FCS this season and ranks seventh among active Division-I FCS players with 7,843 career punting yards.

Niesner, who was named to the FCS Punter of the Year Preseason Watch List and was a semifinalist for that honor a year ago, also earned PFL Special Teams Player of the Week laurels twice during the six-week Spring 2021 docket.

Following Saturday’s 20-13 setback to the Tommies, Valpo has a bye week before returning to action on Oct. 23 vs. Dayton at noon at Brown Field.