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University of Minnesota Athletics
A Life of Faith, Not Perfection: Tight End Ben Utecht
10/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
"I am not perfect," Utecht explained. "I don't make all the right decisions. I struggle with temptation like everyone else does. But I do strive to live a life that God wants me to live through compassion, helping others, not being judgmental and doing what I can to show others what it means to be Christian."
Utecht grew up in a devoted Christian family where he was surrounded by love. His parents and sister are the reasons for his wonderful upbringing. They taught him how to love and provided him with wisdom that has helped him develop as a man, student and athlete. The support that he has had throughout his life has allowed him to make his own decisions and learn from his mistakes.
"I feel truly blessed because I have an amazing family that is there for me through everything," Utecht explained. "My parents are the first people I call when I am going through a hard time and the last people I talk to before a game. And my sister is phenomenal. She is academically gifted and a tremendous musician."
Utecht's strong faith comes from his parents. His father is a Methodist minister and his mother is extremely devoted to her faith as well. Together they have helped mold his character.
"They have given me a tremendous outlook on life and helped me realize that I can count on my faith in Christ, which is something that I am going to strive to share with my kids someday," said Utecht.
Along with Utecht's parents, his girlfriend Karyn Stordahl has kept him focused on his faith and who he wants to be. She has kept him accountable and he feels so lucky to have her in his life. "Karyn brings me back to where my faith lies so I don't go back and make the mistakes I have made previously," Utecht explained.
Last year, Utecht struggled with a foot injury injury and felt lost. He believes he ran from his faith and he did not see the road ahead getting any easier. However, all that changed after the Golden Gopher football team won the Music City Bowl.
Utecht says he was hit with an epiphany about his relationship with the Lord. It made him realize what he was gifted with in the classroom and on the football field. He came back strong this season and has a whole new perspective on what it means to play football.
"In football and whatever else I do, I think God has opened some doors for me and has given me the ability to achieve great things if that is what I choose," Utecht said.
Utecht understands that in order to learn in life one needs to learn from their mistakes. Playing football for the University of Minnesota has been a learning experience for Utecht and has allowed him to build on his strengths, as an athlete and as a person.
Utecht has always loved sports and music. These passions are what compel him to work at his talents with all his heart. Utecht's competitive nature is what pushes him to succeed and be one of the best tight ends in the country. However, he knows there is more to life than football. He believes most of his strengths come outside of the game. Utecht knows he is not here on earth to just play football. He was given the gift to be an amazing athlete and is going to put his whole heart into it and have fun at the same time. But through the years he has learned what is truly important to him.
"As a man and a football player you are always going to see me striving to be very honest, competitive and courageous," Utecht mentioned. "I am going to be truly honest and be myself. Those things and my faith are very important to me and I will always be very outspoken about my beliefs. Everything I do in life revolves around it."
In Utecht's eyes, having strong beliefs in your faith has it's downfalls as well. One of those downfalls is that you are always under a microscope. So many people believe that Christians cannot go out and have fun and they put judgments on people that don't have the same beliefs as they do. But Utecht explains how untrue that is, and he's had his problems just as everyone has. Utecht has gone down many different paths, but it has made him realize what he wanted and what is best for him.
"I love going out and having a good time like the rest of my teammates do," Utecht explained. "I do not think they are bad people because they go out and have fun like any other college student, because I go out and have fun too. And I think that gives new respect for me as a Christian."
Utecht has made himself a friend to each guy on the Golden Gopher football team. They are all here for one another, just like brothers. Even though he is a senior leader with many years of experience he doesn't single himself out as a role model.
"We are adult men. If I am a role model to them, they are as much of a role model to me. We always talk about how this team is such an awesome family and that is why we are so successful. We all have a relationship that goes both ways. We are all here for one another. I am an upfront person about my faith and about my perspectives on things. Because I have stayed with my faith, these guys respect me, and I respect them for their individual beliefs."
Utecht's faith is what brought him to the University of Minnesota. Six years ago when he visited as a high school junior and accepted a scholarship, he came because he had faith that Coach Mason was going to turn this program around. It didn't happen over night. But six years have gone by and this team is at a point where they have true potential. Utecht knows they just need to take it game by game and do what the do each and every practice.
"We are more confident than any team I have been apart of," Utecht said. "And we have more skill than any team I have played on. It really has brought a new aspect to what it means to play football. This is why I came here. I think it is just going to get better for Coach Mason in years to come."
Come January when Utecht finishes here, he believes he will walk away from this University with tremendous joy. His faith has shown him that this was the best place for him to learn, experience, and excel in life and figure out what he wants to do in the future. He is truly thankful. Without any of this he wouldn't be the person he is today.
"I have taken a lot of things for granted in life," Utecht said. "I have come to a point in my life where I can take responsibility for that. I am truly thankful to my coaches, my teammates, family and faith for being a consistent element in my life. It has been a wonderful experience."
Faith has always been the answer for Utecht and it always will. He does not strive for perfection; instead he lives each and everyday devoted to his faith.
Written by Media Relations Student Assistant Jessica Fleischmann. She welcomes comments at gophers@umn.edu.
Everyone has their own definition of perfect and a perfect person is hard to find. Many may argue that Ben Utecht is close to perfection; however Utecht is the first to admit that he is far from perfect. He has made mistakes throughout his life just as everyone else in the world has. But he believes that his faith is what has brought him to where he is today.
"I am not perfect," Utecht explained. "I don't make all the right decisions. I struggle with temptation like everyone else does. But I do strive to live a life that God wants me to live through compassion, helping others, not being judgmental and doing what I can to show others what it means to be Christian."
Utecht grew up in a devoted Christian family where he was surrounded by love. His parents and sister are the reasons for his wonderful upbringing. They taught him how to love and provided him with wisdom that has helped him develop as a man, student and athlete. The support that he has had throughout his life has allowed him to make his own decisions and learn from his mistakes.
"I feel truly blessed because I have an amazing family that is there for me through everything," Utecht explained. "My parents are the first people I call when I am going through a hard time and the last people I talk to before a game. And my sister is phenomenal. She is academically gifted and a tremendous musician."
Utecht's strong faith comes from his parents. His father is a Methodist minister and his mother is extremely devoted to her faith as well. Together they have helped mold his character.
"They have given me a tremendous outlook on life and helped me realize that I can count on my faith in Christ, which is something that I am going to strive to share with my kids someday," said Utecht.
Along with Utecht's parents, his girlfriend Karyn Stordahl has kept him focused on his faith and who he wants to be. She has kept him accountable and he feels so lucky to have her in his life. "Karyn brings me back to where my faith lies so I don't go back and make the mistakes I have made previously," Utecht explained.
Last year, Utecht struggled with a foot injury injury and felt lost. He believes he ran from his faith and he did not see the road ahead getting any easier. However, all that changed after the Golden Gopher football team won the Music City Bowl.
Utecht says he was hit with an epiphany about his relationship with the Lord. It made him realize what he was gifted with in the classroom and on the football field. He came back strong this season and has a whole new perspective on what it means to play football.
"In football and whatever else I do, I think God has opened some doors for me and has given me the ability to achieve great things if that is what I choose," Utecht said.
Utecht understands that in order to learn in life one needs to learn from their mistakes. Playing football for the University of Minnesota has been a learning experience for Utecht and has allowed him to build on his strengths, as an athlete and as a person.
Utecht has always loved sports and music. These passions are what compel him to work at his talents with all his heart. Utecht's competitive nature is what pushes him to succeed and be one of the best tight ends in the country. However, he knows there is more to life than football. He believes most of his strengths come outside of the game. Utecht knows he is not here on earth to just play football. He was given the gift to be an amazing athlete and is going to put his whole heart into it and have fun at the same time. But through the years he has learned what is truly important to him.
"As a man and a football player you are always going to see me striving to be very honest, competitive and courageous," Utecht mentioned. "I am going to be truly honest and be myself. Those things and my faith are very important to me and I will always be very outspoken about my beliefs. Everything I do in life revolves around it."
In Utecht's eyes, having strong beliefs in your faith has it's downfalls as well. One of those downfalls is that you are always under a microscope. So many people believe that Christians cannot go out and have fun and they put judgments on people that don't have the same beliefs as they do. But Utecht explains how untrue that is, and he's had his problems just as everyone has. Utecht has gone down many different paths, but it has made him realize what he wanted and what is best for him.
"I love going out and having a good time like the rest of my teammates do," Utecht explained. "I do not think they are bad people because they go out and have fun like any other college student, because I go out and have fun too. And I think that gives new respect for me as a Christian."
Utecht has made himself a friend to each guy on the Golden Gopher football team. They are all here for one another, just like brothers. Even though he is a senior leader with many years of experience he doesn't single himself out as a role model.
"We are adult men. If I am a role model to them, they are as much of a role model to me. We always talk about how this team is such an awesome family and that is why we are so successful. We all have a relationship that goes both ways. We are all here for one another. I am an upfront person about my faith and about my perspectives on things. Because I have stayed with my faith, these guys respect me, and I respect them for their individual beliefs."
Utecht's faith is what brought him to the University of Minnesota. Six years ago when he visited as a high school junior and accepted a scholarship, he came because he had faith that Coach Mason was going to turn this program around. It didn't happen over night. But six years have gone by and this team is at a point where they have true potential. Utecht knows they just need to take it game by game and do what the do each and every practice.
"We are more confident than any team I have been apart of," Utecht said. "And we have more skill than any team I have played on. It really has brought a new aspect to what it means to play football. This is why I came here. I think it is just going to get better for Coach Mason in years to come."
Come January when Utecht finishes here, he believes he will walk away from this University with tremendous joy. His faith has shown him that this was the best place for him to learn, experience, and excel in life and figure out what he wants to do in the future. He is truly thankful. Without any of this he wouldn't be the person he is today.
"I have taken a lot of things for granted in life," Utecht said. "I have come to a point in my life where I can take responsibility for that. I am truly thankful to my coaches, my teammates, family and faith for being a consistent element in my life. It has been a wonderful experience."
Faith has always been the answer for Utecht and it always will. He does not strive for perfection; instead he lives each and everyday devoted to his faith.
Written by Media Relations Student Assistant Jessica Fleischmann. She welcomes comments at gophers@umn.edu.
