He has a jawline that could cut glass and is being hailed as the sweetest, most eligible Bachelor in reality TV history, but folks in Ben Higgins's Indiana hometown say he's still a "nobody" back home. Don't worry, they mean it as the sweetest compliment they can give.
By most accounts, the 27-year-old software salesman and former football quarterback from Warsaw, Indiana, is an impressive guy. Not only is he nice to look at and successful in his career, but he's also a devout Christian who has volunteered with several organizations and performed mission work in places like Bolivia and Peru. He's extremely close to his family and thinks nothing of posing for Christmas cards with his parents. He has even made it a point of saying he wants to get to know the 28 lucky Bachelor contestants really well and isn't planning on using the show as an opportunity to make out with different women.
So yeah, he's "Perfect Ben." But back home, he's a total "nobody" who is "extremely down to earth" and "very caring," according to Tracy Furnival, director of Baker Youth Club, where Higgins volunteered his time. And she means that in the best possible way.
Want proof that Higgins is salt of the earth? Look no further than this photo of him dressed as Tigger at Baker Youth Club, where he once dressed up to entertain children:
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"This was Ben when Ben was just Ben." Now ABC says this bachelor is "perfect." https://t.co/sZ1Ci9hBKcpic.twitter.com/JWXktWHOlW
— IndyStar (@indystar) December 26, 2015More from The Stir: Ben Higgins Didn't Want Becca Tilley to Join 'The Bachelor'
There simply is no end to the number of sighs this man can elicit from you.
It must be surreal for Ben's family and friends to watch gaggles of glam ladies fall all over themselves vying for his attention. It sounds like Ben will have no trouble handling the attention and will not let it go to his head. He can thank his parents and his solid Midwestern upbringing and values for that — let's hope he stays a "nobody" long after his season debuts on Jan. 4.
Image via Roger Wong/INFphoto.com/Splash News