Oben spent 12 years as an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) playing for the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Diego Chargers.

Oben joined the Browns as an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2000 season and registered 29 starts at left tackle during his two-year tenure in Cleveland.

Oben quickly became a fixture at the left tackle position and after bouncing back from a career-threatening foot injury, he spent the 2007 season as a player-mentor on the Chargers' young offensive line.

Oben was a charter member of the NFLPA Benefits Committee that ensured future medical coverage for all NFL players.

He took graduate courses each NFL off-season towards a master's degree in public administration which he earned from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2001 while playing for the Cleveland Browns.