I thought he was a football player...

Big Ben doesn’t refer to a clock; it’s actually the name for the bell inside that famous clock tower.

Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north-eastern end of the Palace of Westminster in London. The nickname is often also used (incorrectly) to refer to the clock and the clock tower. This is the world's largest four-faced, chiming clock and the third largest free-standing clock tower in the world. It celebrates its 150th birthday in 2009, during which celebratory events are planned.