Joe Berger
Encyclopedia
Joseph David Berger is an American football
center
for the Minnesota Vikings
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers
in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Michigan Tech.
Berger has also played for the Miami Dolphins
and Dallas Cowboys
.
. As a senior, he was the team captain of his team, an All-Western Waterways Activities Conference selection, and an Academic All-State honorable mention. During his two year varsity football career, he played offensive lineman, and as a defensive linebacker, he posted 238 tackles and one interception.
player at Michigan Tech
. He was a four-time Academic All-GLIAC selection, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District pick, and a two-time All-America
n pick as a right tackle
. He also played in the Cactus Bowl
and the NCAA Division II All-Star
game.
by the Carolina Panthers
in the sixth round (207th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
. However, he was signed to the practice squad and never played in a game for them.
, and played in three games. A sprained right foot suffered in training camp kept him inactive during the 2006 season, and he was eventually waived.
by the Cowboys, but was inactive for the entire 2006 season. He was active for only 3 games in 2007, playing only in the 4th quarter of the season finale, and was inactive for the final 11 games of the 2008 season.
. Although he was signed as a backup player, due to his ability to play multiple offensive line positions, he beat out Jake Grove
for the starting center position, and played in 31 out of 32 games over the next two seasons, starting 20 of them. He was released on September 5, 2011 after the preseason.
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
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
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...
. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. 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 Michigan Tech.
Berger has also played for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.
Early years
Berger attended Newaygo High School in Newaygo, MichiganNewaygo, Michigan
Newaygo is a city in Newaygo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,976 at the 2010 census. The character of the town is quite rural.-Geography:...
. As a senior, he was the team captain of his team, an All-Western Waterways Activities Conference selection, and an Academic All-State honorable mention. During his two year varsity football career, he played offensive lineman, and as a defensive linebacker, he posted 238 tackles and one interception.
College career
Berger was a walk-on college footballCollege 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...
player at Michigan Tech
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
. He was a four-time Academic All-GLIAC selection, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District pick, and a two-time All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n pick as a right tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
. He also played in the Cactus Bowl
Cactus Bowl
The Cactus Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played each January in Kingsville, Texas which showcases the best NFL draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility in NCAA Division II...
and the NCAA Division II All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
game.
Carolina Panthers
Berger was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
in the sixth round (207th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. However, he was signed to the practice squad and never played in a game for them.
First stint with Dolphins
He was picked up by the Dolphins before the start of the 2005 NFL season2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, and played in three games. A sprained right foot suffered in training camp kept him inactive during the 2006 season, and he was eventually waived.
Dallas Cowboys
Shortly after his release from the Dolphins in 2006, Berger was claimed on waiversWaivers (American football)
Waivers is a National Football League labor management procedure by which a team makes an American football player contract or NFL rights available to all other teams...
by the Cowboys, but was inactive for the entire 2006 season. He was active for only 3 games in 2007, playing only in the 4th quarter of the season finale, and was inactive for the final 11 games of the 2008 season.
Second stint with Dolphins
After becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2009, Berger re-signed with the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Although he was signed as a backup player, due to his ability to play multiple offensive line positions, he beat out Jake Grove
Jake Grove
Charles Jacob Grove is a retired American football center, most recently for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
for the starting center position, and played in 31 out of 32 games over the next two seasons, starting 20 of them. He was released on September 5, 2011 after the preseason.