Joel Andrew Smeenge is a former American football

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...

 defensive end

Defensive end

Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...

 in 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...

 for the New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....

 and 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...

. He played 11 seasons in the NFL from 1990-2000. 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 Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....

. Smeenge attended Hudsonville High School

Hudsonville High School

Hudsonville High School, or HHS, is a public high school located in Hudsonville, Michigan. It is part of Hudsonville Public School District, which also includes seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and a freshman campus school.- Academics :...

 along with other notable Hudsonvillian, Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

's John Vander Wal

John Vander Wal

John Henry Vander Wal is a former American Major League Baseball left-handed hitter who played outfield and first base for eight different teams over 14 seasons.-Early life:...

.

-Herb Deromedi head coach at Central Michigan quoted in saying "In Joel you have one of the top defensive players we've ever seen in the Mid American Conference. He ranks right up there with Jack Lambert and John Offerdahl"

Quick, tough and hard hitting, Joel was one of the nation's most impressive defensive ends in "89. His 4.65 speed made him a dangerous pass rusher and explosive tackler. Joel was an All Mid American Conference outside linebacker as a sophomore in 1987, The was selected as an All Conference defensive end the next two seasons. Joel led the conference with 20 tackles for a loss in 1988 and with 18 in 1989

While playing at Western Michigan Smeenge wore number #89