Joe Looney (offensive lineman)
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Looney with the San Francisco 49ers | |||||||
| No. 73 Dallas Cowboys | |||||||
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| Position: | Center | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Date of birth: | August 31, 1990 | ||||||
| Place of birth: | Lake Worth, Florida | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 315 lb (143 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Lake Worth (FL) | ||||||
| College: | Wake Forest | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2012 / Round: 4 / Pick: 117 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2016 | |||||||
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Joe Looney (born August 31, 1990) is an American football center for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Wake Forest and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Early years
Looney was raised in Lake Worth, Florida. At the age of six, he already weighed 120 pounds, so he had to play football with boys who were as much as twice his age.[1] He attended Lake Worth Community High School, and graduated in 2008, and was selected to the Florida all-state team as a senior.[2]
College career
He played college football at Wake Forest. He started in 41 games over four years at guard and was chosen for the all-ACC second team. He received a late invitation to play in the Senior Bowl,[3] but he suffered a foot injury during practice[4] and was unable to participate in the NFL Combine or Wake Forest's pro day.[5]
Professional career
San Francisco 49ers
Looney was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round (117th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft, after trading a sixth round pick to the Detroit Lions in order to move up 8 slots.[5][6] He was released on September 4, 2015.[7]
Tennessee Titans
Looney was signed by the Tennessee Titans on October 20, 2015.[8] He started six games at guard during the season.[9]
Dallas Cowboys
On March 29, 2016, the Dallas Cowboys signed Looney as a free agent to a 2-year contract,[9] to replace the recently departed Mackenzy Bernadeau, as a versatile backup that could play any of the interior positions along the offensive line. He replaced an injured Ronald Leary at left guard in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns. After Geoff Swaim was injured against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he began to be used as a blocking tight end in short yardage situations. He helped rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott become the rushing NFL leader and was one the offensive linemen that Elliott gave an ATV as a gift at the end of the season.
Personal life
Looney's younger brother, James, was also a star lineman at Lake Worth, and also decided to attend Wake Forest before transferring to California in 2014. Their father played college football at Louisville.[10]
References
- ↑ Ryan Calhoun, "Joe Looney, San Francisco 49ers, playing in Super Bowl XLVII: His family couldn't be more excited", WPTV-TV, January 31, 2013.
- ↑ Dan Collins, "Deacons will be replacing key veterans", Winston-Salem Journal, August 1, 2008.
- ↑ Heather Dinich, "Wake lineman gets late invite to Senior Bowl", ESPN.com, January 24, 2012.
- ↑ Brett Friedlander, "Big break turns into a bad break for Wake Forest’s Looney", Star-News, January 25, 2012.
- 1 2 Eric Branch, "Fourth round: 49ers trade up for Wake Forest G Looney", SFGate.com, April 28, 2012.
- ↑ Matt Barrows, "Round 4: 49ers trade UP to take Wake Forest G Joe Looney", Sacramento Bee, April 28, 2012.
- ↑ Alper, Josh (September 4, 2015). "49ers release Philip Wheeler, Joe Looney and Craig Dahl". NBCSports.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ↑ "Titans place center Brian Schwenke on IR, add Joe Looney". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
- 1 2 "Cowboys Add Offensive Line Depth By Signing Veteran OG/C Joe Looney". Dallas Cowboys. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
- ↑ Dan Collins, "Wake Forest football lands another Looney", Winston-Salem Journal, November 2, 2012.
External links
- San Francisco 49ers bio
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons bio
- "My Football Journey" Wake Forest interview (December 5, 2011)