Joe Staley

Joe Staley (born August 30, 1984) is an American football offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Michigan.

High school career

Staley earned two letters in football and two in track at Rockford High School, he caught 24 passes for 559 yards and seven touchdowns as a prep senior. Staley was named Grand Rapids Press Dream Team member and was ranked No. 13 overall prospect by the Detroit Free Press and No. 49 by the Detroit News.

Track and field

Staley was also a standout track and field athlete for the Rockford High School track team. He set three school records in the 200-meter dash, with a time of 21.9 seconds, in the 4 × 100 metres relay, with a time of 42.56 seconds and in the 4 × 200m relay, with a time of 1:27.86 minutes. He also placed sixth in state in the 200 meters to earn all-state honors, the team was fourth in the 4 × 100m, fourth in 4 × 200m and sixth in 4 × 400m. His time of 21.9 seconds in the 200 meters ranks as the fastest among offensive linemen ever in the NFL.

College career

Staley received an athletic scholarship to attend Central Michigan University, where he played for the Central Michigan Chippewas football team from 2004 to 2007. Staley began his career as a tight end. He added 80 pounds to his 6' 5" frame without sacrificing footspeed. He played in 11 games as a true freshman, catching 11 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown and posted a career-high two catches for 34 yards and a touchdown against Eastern Michigan University. Due to his size, Staley was moved to the offensive line during his sophomore season. He started all 11 games at right tackle.

He started all 11 games at left tackle and did not allow a single sack. He recorded 53 knockdown blocks and was part of an offensive line that helped CMU average 418.8 yards of offense per game. He also blocked for CMU's single-season total yardage record holder, Kent Smith. Staley helped pave the way for true freshman Ontario Sneed to run for 1,065 yards and earn Freshman All-America honors.

Staley was invited to play in the 2007 East–West Shrine Game and he was named a preseason All-MAC First Team selection by Athlon Sports and MAC Report Online. Staley was a dominant player at left tackle. Known for his size, Staley's speed was a rare exception. He ran a 4.70 seconds in the 40-yard dash at CMU's junior pro day. Staley was part of an offensive front that helped CMU boast a 1,000-yard rusher in three consecutive seasons. He was a key part of an offensive line that allowed Kent Smith to pass for at least 2,000 yards in 2004 and 2005. Staley played alongside former Cincinnati Bengals lineman Adam Kieft, who was also his high school teammate at Rockford High School.

Professional career

2007 NFL Combine

Staley with Brit Miller at 49ers training camp in 2010

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers acquired Staley after trading into the first round with the New England Patriots. The Niners gave their 2008 first round pick (which became Jerod Mayo) and a 4th Round pick in 2007. The Patriots subsequently traded the fourth round pick (110 overall) to the Oakland Raiders for wide receiver Randy Moss.

Staley wears the number 74 for the San Francisco 49ers.

He was named the starting right tackle over Kwame Harris on August 28, 2007. He finished the season with all 16 starts and allowed 8 sacks.

In the 2008 NFL season, Staley was moved to left tackle starting every game but allowing just 8.5 sacks.

Prior to the 2009 season, Staley signed a 6-year contract extension that will keep him with San Francisco until 2017. Staley missed 7 games of the season with a sprained knee, but managed to start all the other 9 games allowing just 3 sacks and having no penalties called against him.

On October 30, 2011, Staley, from a tackle eligible formation, caught a pass for a key first down in the 49ers' 20-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

On December 27, 2011 Staley was named to the 2012 Pro Bowl and started at left tackle for the NFC. Staley started every game for the 49ers this season as they rushed for over 2,044 yards.

On December 26, 2012, Staley was named to the 2013 Pro Bowl. Staley started every game for the 49ers that season, despite a small scare involving a concussion. The 49ers finished 4th in the regular season, with 2,491 yards of rushing offense, 3rd in the league with 5.1 yards per carry, and tied for 2nd in the league for the number of runs of at least 20 yards in length.

Staley signed a two-year extension in the 2014 offseason to extend his tenure through the 2019 season.^[3]

Personal life

Staley has hosted a video log known as the "Joe Show" for the 49ers website.^[4]

References

External links

• San Francisco 49ers bio