Davin Joseph (born November 22, 1983) is an American former professional
football player who was a
guard in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
(NFL). He played
college football for the
Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners are the athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the " Sooners", a reference to a nickname given to the early participants in the Land R ...
, and was selected by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
in the first round of the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
with the 23rd overall pick. A two-time
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
er, Joseph also played for the
St. Louis Rams.
Early years
Joseph was born in
Hallandale, Florida, and is of
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
an descent. He played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
at
Hallandale High School. While there he was a four-year starter at both
guard and
defensive line
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
and played in a school-record 532 plays. During his senior year, he was the
Broward County
Broward County ( , ) is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's second-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with over 1.94 ...
Defensive Player of the Year and was awarded All-State after recording 100
tackles and 24
sacks. He was also a two-time 2A state and a national
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
champion at heavyweight in Florida.
College career
Joseph played
college football at
Oklahoma. During his freshman year, he was named Freshman All-
Big 12
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its f ...
by ''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
''. As a senior, he was a consensus First-team All-Big 12 selection. He finished his career playing in 50 games with 29 starts at guard and 11 starts at left tackle.
Professional career
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Joseph was drafted by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
in the first round with the 23rd overall pick in the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
. During his rookie season, he started 12 of 13 games at right guard. In his second season in the
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the maj ...
he became a full-time starter, starting all 16 games at right guard for the buccaneers. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl after the 2008 season as a substitute. On July 28, 2011, Joseph agreed to terms with the "Bucs" on a seven-year, $53 million contract including $19 million guaranteed.
He was selected to his second Pro Bowl during the 2011 season.
In the third preseason game against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in 2012, Joseph hurt his knee when teammate
Donald Penn
Donald Ward Penn (born April 27, 1983) is a former American football offensive tackle. He played college football at Utah State, and was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2006. Penn has also played for the Tampa Bay Bu ...
blocked defensive end
Chandler Jones into his knee. Joseph was later placed on injured reserve, ending his season.
Joseph was released by Tampa Bay on March 8, 2014.
St. Louis Rams
Joseph signed with the
St. Louis Rams on May 28, 2014.
St. Louis Rams Sign Davin Joseph
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Philanthropy
In 2011, Davin Joseph established the Davin Joseph Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization devoted to enhancing the athletic and performing arts programs in three Title-One public schools in Tampa and Hallandale, Florida, respectively.
Awards
Davin Joseph has won several awards such as:
* 2015 Rainbow Push Community Service Award
* Induction in the Broward County Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame (2013)
* Byron "Whizzer" White Award (2012)
* City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, and its mayor proclaimed July 12–14 forever recognized as Davin Joseph Football Week (2012)
* Featuring on Fox13, Tampa's local news station for "What's Good in Tampa Bay?" segment (2012)
* Cover story in ''Focus Magazine'', recognizing his commitment to the community of Tampa, Florida (2011)
References
External links
*
Tampa Bay Buccaneers bio
St. Louis Rams bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joseph, Davin
1983 births
Living people
American football offensive guards
American sportspeople of Haitian descent
Hallandale High School alumni
National Conference Pro Bowl players
Oklahoma Sooners football players
People from Hallandale Beach, Florida
St. Louis Rams players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
Players of American football from Broward County, Florida