Daniel Robert Buenning
(born October 26, 1981, in
Green Bay, Wisconsin) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison ...
. He 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) South division. The cl ...
in the fourth round of the
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 he ...
, and also played professionally for the
Chicago Bears and
Florida Tuskers
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...
. He played
college football at
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
.
College career
Buenning played on both sides of the ball at
Bay Port High School
Bay Port High School is a public high school in the Howard-Suamico School District in Wisconsin. Its enrollment for the 2006-2007 school year was approximately 1,675.
The school colors are navy blue, Columbia blue and white. Bay Port's mascot i ...
, earning all-state honors and committing to the
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
.
He was also a state champion wrestler at Bay Port.
Playing at
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, Buenning was a four-year starter on the offensive line, and was a team captain his senior season. He was an All-American and All-Big Ten selection after the 2004 season.
Professional career
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buenning 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) South division. The cl ...
in the fourth round (107th overall) of the
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 he ...
,
and became an immediate starter. He played in nine games his sophomore season before suffering an
anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments (also cruciform ligaments) are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee joint and th ...
tear against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
on Thanksgiving, sidelining him for the rest of 2006 and all of 2007. After spending his first three NFL seasons at guard, he moved to center between the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Chicago Bears
On September 2, 2008, Buenning was traded to the
Chicago Bears for a conditional 2009 sixth-round pick.
On September 4, 2009, the Bears informed Buenning that the team intended to cut him.
Florida Tuskers
In 2009, Buenning played for the
Florida Tuskers
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...
of the
United Football League.
Personal life
Buenning is married. After his football career ended, Buenning became a car salesman in
Waupaca, Wisconsin
Waupaca is a city in and the county seat of Waupaca County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 6,282 at the 2020 census.
The city is located mostly within the Town of Waupaca, and it is politically independent of the town. A p ...
.
References
External links
Chicago Bears bioTampa Bay Buccaneers bioUnited Football League bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buenning, Dan
1981 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Green Bay, Wisconsin
Players of American football from Wisconsin
American football offensive guards
American football centers
Wisconsin Badgers football players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
Chicago Bears players
Florida Tuskers players