Ben Tamburello
Ben Allen "Ben" Tamburello, Jr (born September 9, 1964 in Birmingham) was an All-American center for the Auburn Tigers football team and played five years in the NFL.
Tamburello graduated from Shades Valley High School but had no major college scholarship offers. He spent a year at the Tennessee Military Institute and then visited Alabama, the team he had idolized as a boy. He witnessed the 1982 loss to Southern Miss and worried that Bear Bryant might not be around to coach him for four years. He also visited Tennessee before accepting an offer from Pat Dye at Auburn.
As a true freshman Tamburello won the starting job and was named a Freshman All-American by Football News. He was honored as an All-American the next two seasons and was Southeastern Conference Lineman of the Year and a team captain as a senior.
Tamburello was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles as the 65th overall pick in the 3rd round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played four seasons for the Eagles, remaining on the roster but not playing after fellow 1987 draft pick David Alexander earned the starting job in 1991. He retired from playing after that year.
Tamburello works as a salesman for the Price Oil Company in Birmingham He and his wife, Katy, have three children.
References
- Nicholson, Gilbert (March 12, 2004) "Price Oil Co. debuts here with $3.5M combo shop." Birmingham Business Journal
- Bean, Josh (January 17, 2005) "Where Are They Now? Ben Tamburello: Former Auburn football player" Florence Times-Daily
- Segrest, Doug (May 18, 2010) "Ben Tamburello: From unwanted to Alabama's Hall of Fame." Birmingham News
- Goolsby, John (December 7, 2021) Where are they now: Ben Tamburello The Red and Black; accessed 6/29/2022