Ben McLaughlin receives Mehlberger Award

What makes a football player great?  Tremendous stats, number of touchdown passes, leading a team to the championship? Speaking with former LC Quarterback, Ben Mclaughlin, tells you there is much more to a truly great football player.  

McLaughlin was recently honored during halftime of the LC football game against ETBU for receiving the Mehlberger Award.  This award recognizes outstanding athletic performance and is given to one NCAA Division III football player annually earning one of the highest honors bestowed across the nation.  

He grew up in the small town of Dierks, Arkansas.  “It is a town of about 1,200 people in Southwest Arkansas.  In the middle of nowhere.  No redlights.  No Wal-Marts.  No fast food.  It’s just one or two little diners and a couple of gas stations.” 

He is a graduate of LC who continues to represent character on and off the field.  Not only does he live his life for Christ and to serve others, but he demonstrates it through his actions right here at LC to this day.  He loves the Lord and is a leader for young people.  

McLaughlin teaches Algebra I at Bolton High School and coaches part-time at LC.  He coaches running backs and helps with quarterbacks.  He began teaching last year while he was also enrolled full-time as a student in the Masters of Arts in Teaching program (MAT) and LC’s starting quarterback.  This may seem like quite the schedule for some, but to Ben it is part of what the Lord has blessed him with through his years at LC.  

As a football player while attending LC, McLaughlin was highly successful on the field earning national honors.  He was named the 2010 Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s All-Louisiana Offensive Player of the Year.  On top of that, he is a member of last summer’s gold-medal winning Team USA in the world football championships.

But he will be the first to tell you that no quarterback receives these honors without a strong team of men surrounding him.  Now, he continues to work with the football team as a coach.  Although he holds every major passing record at LC and set new American Southwest Conference records in passing yards as a NCAA Division III quarterback, McLaughlin is coaching running backs at LC.  

“Coach Dunn asked if I wanted to help out and coach the running backs, and I was happy about it because I played quarterback my whole life.  Even though it looks like a good fit to coach quarterbacks, this will help me to become a better coach by coaching a position that I am not as familiar with.”  McLaughlin added, “I like a challenge. I am very goal-oriented person so I like to see something and go and take care of it.”

The strength of his positive attitude is familiar to LC Football where players are represented on a Unity Council, pray and train together, and gather in the Lord’s name on and off the field.  McLaughlin knows there is something different about the LC program where God reigns.  

He said, “It is a unique environment. We have a sign that says ‘God, family, school, football’ just in that order.  I think where LC stands out is holding the team accountable. It’s easy to hang a sign, but it is a different story if the players, coaches, and everyone is held accountable.  Not only do Coach Dunn and the rest of the staff say put God first, they LIVE it, and hold the players accountable to that.”