Wake Forest He was redshirted his first season, in 2003. In 2004, Ben played in ten games and started three. Against
Clemson University, on his first collegiate snap, he set the record for the longest touchdown pass in Wake history, at 85 yards. He led the Deacons to a 4–7 overall record and was named to
The Sporting News's ACC All-Freshman Team. In 2005, he played in ten games and started seven; the Deacons had another 4–7 season. In 2006, Mauk sustained an injury to his right (throwing) arm in the first game against
Syracuse. Mauk attempted to recover a fumble in the third quarter when two Orange players fell on the arm. He suffered a fractured
humerus, a dislocated shoulder, and a torn
labrum. Shortly after the injury, he underwent reconstructive surgery in which surgeons put a titanium plate with eight screws in his upper arm and installed three anchors in the shoulder. The Deacons, with redshirt freshman
Riley Skinner taking over for Mauk, would go on to finish 11–3, winning their first
ACC Championship Game, and on to the school's first
BCS game in the
Orange Bowl, in which the Deacons would lose to the
Louisville Cardinals.
Cincinnati Because of Mauk's
reconstructive surgery, it was doubtful that Wake Forest would let Mauk compete for playing time at Wake in 2007. He decided to take advantage of an NCAA rule, later rescinded, that allowed graduate students with remaining athletic eligibility to transfer and become immediately eligible. For his part, Kelly was not sure whether Mauk could come back; he had the Bearcats' medical team contact the physicians who performed Mauk's surgery, and required that he pass a physical examination with emphasis on the throwing arm. Ultimately, Kelly decided to bring Mauk in, figuring that, if nothing else, Mauk could serve as a mentor for the Bearcats' younger quarterbacks who would have to adjust to the spread offense. Mauk, called the "Bionic Man" by his Cincinnati teammates due to the various metallic objects installed in his arm, proved to be an inspiration to them. Bearcats safety
Haruki Nakamura said about Mauk, "The first time I saw the scar, I was like: 'What is that? Did you get a shark bite?' For someone to endure that sort of pain is unbelievable. To do what he's done this year is great. He's definitely become an impact player on this team." On September 9, 2008,
Hardin County Judge William Hart refused to grant a permanent
injunction against the
NCAA that would have allowed Mauk to rejoin the Bearcats. ==Professional career==