Dan Connolly (American football)
Encyclopedia
Daniel Paul Connolly is an American football
center for the New England Patriots
of the National Football League
(NFL). He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars
as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football
at Southeast Missouri State.
. He attended Marquette High School in Chesterfield, Missouri
and was a letterman in football
. In football, he was a three-time All-District selection and a three-time All-Conference selection.
offensive tackle for Southeast Missouri State University
who was All-Conference four consecutive seasons and finished his collegiate career with 46 consecutive starts.
Connolly made the 53-man roster in 2009
and started four games at right guard in place of an injured Stephen Neal
. During the season, he received a contract extension through the 2011 season.
With veteran starter Logan Mankins
missing from the first seven games of the 2010
season due to a contract situation, Connolly started all of those games in his place at left guard. He was a reserve for the team's Week 9 game, but returned to the starting lineup at right guard following a season-ending injury to Neal.
In a December 19, 2010 game against the Green Bay Packers
, Connolly set the record for the longest kickoff
return by an offensive lineman in NFL history, returning a squib kick
71 yards to set up a Patriots touchdown (the previous record was 48 yards by Mal Snider
in 1969). Connolly was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the feat. However, Connolly suffered a concussion in the game and missed the final two games of the regular season. He finished the 2010 season with 13 starts in 14 games played.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center for the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Southeast Missouri State.
Early years
Connolly was born in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. He attended Marquette High School in Chesterfield, Missouri
Chesterfield, Missouri
Chesterfield is a second-ring western suburb of St. Louis and is the largest city in west St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census the population is 47,484. Chesterfield also celebrated its 20th birthday in 2008.- Geography :...
and was a letterman in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
. In football, he was a three-time All-District selection and a three-time All-Conference selection.
College career
He was a four-year startingStarting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
offensive tackle for Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...
who was All-Conference four consecutive seasons and finished his collegiate career with 46 consecutive starts.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Connolly was signed by the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent on April 24, 2005. He made the team's 53-man roster and spent the rest of the season on it. He was placed on injured reserve by the Jaguars on September 2, 2006. Connolly was waived by the Jaguars on September 1, 2007.New England Patriots
Connolly was signed to the Patriots' practice squad on September 13, 2007, where he spent the remainder of the season before being re-signed to a future contract on February 5, 2008. He was then waived by the Patriots on October 20, 2008. He was re-signed to the team's practice squad on October 22. He was promoted to the active roster on December 13, 2008.Connolly made the 53-man roster in 2009
2009 New England Patriots season
The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs....
and started four games at right guard in place of an injured Stephen Neal
Stephen Neal
Stephen Matthew Neal is a former American football guard who played his entire career for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He is a former national champion amateur and collegiate wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield...
. During the season, he received a contract extension through the 2011 season.
With veteran starter Logan Mankins
Logan Mankins
-2005–06 seasons:Mankins was drafted with the final pick of the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Despite playing his entire collegiate career as a tackle, Mankins was moved to left guard by the Patriots, where he immediately stepped into the starting...
missing from the first seven games of the 2010
2010 New England Patriots season
The 2010 New England Patriots season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009 by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets...
season due to a contract situation, Connolly started all of those games in his place at left guard. He was a reserve for the team's Week 9 game, but returned to the starting lineup at right guard following a season-ending injury to Neal.
In a December 19, 2010 game against the Green Bay Packers
2010 Green Bay Packers season
The 2010 Green Bay Packers season was the 90th season in the National Football League for the Packers and the 92nd season for the team overall. With a record of 10–6, the Packers entered the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed...
, Connolly set the record for the longest kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
return by an offensive lineman in NFL history, returning a squib kick
Squib kick
A squib kick is a term used in American football meaning a short, low, line drive kickoff that usually bounces around on the ground before it can be picked up by a member of the receiving team. The ball is kicked so short that it forces the receiving team's slower players to recover the ball first...
71 yards to set up a Patriots touchdown (the previous record was 48 yards by Mal Snider
Malcolm Snider
Malcolm Pratt Snider is a former professional American football guard and tackle who played six seasons in the National Football League.-College career:...
in 1969). Connolly was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the feat. However, Connolly suffered a concussion in the game and missed the final two games of the regular season. He finished the 2010 season with 13 starts in 14 games played.