Joseph David Reitz (born August 24, 1985) is a former American football

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...

who played seven seasons for the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He attended Western Michigan University where he played college basketball and not football.

College basketball career

Reitz was an all-state high school football player at Hamilton Southeastern High School, but he decided to play college basketball at Western Michigan University. He finished as the third all-time leading scorer and rebounder. Reitz also played in more games than any other player in WMU men's basketball history. In his senior season, Reitz helped lead the Broncos to a Mid-American Conference West Division title and was named First-team All-MAC for both the regular season and conference tournament. Reitz was also a member of the Academic All-MAC Team.

Professional football career

Baltimore Ravens

Reitz was signed by Baltimore with the intention of playing as a tight end but was groomed to play

because of his athleticism. Reitz, undersized for an offensive lineman, left college at , entered training camp at , and wanted to reach by the start of the NFL season. Reitz entered the 2008 NFL season as a member of the Ravens

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

. On October 1, 2008, the Ravens placed Reitz on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

with a shoulder injury. While still a member of the Ravens, the move effectively ended his 2008 season. In January 2009, Reitz was re-signed by the Ravens, and he entered the 2009 NFL season as a member of the Ravens practice squad. In January 2010 Reitz re-signed a reserve future contract. He was cut on September 4.

Miami Dolphins

On September 5, 2010, Reitz was claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins. He was waived on September 8.

Indianapolis Colts

On September 8, 2010, Reitz was claimed off waivers by the Colts from the Miami Dolphins. He was waived on September 15. He was re-signed to the practice squad on September 19. He was signed off the practice squad for the Colts first round playoff game. In 2011, he began to see his first extensive playing time with the Colts. He was named the starter at left guard on August 16, 2011 He ultimately appeared in 11 games with the Colts, nine of which were starts. Reitz entered the 2012 season as competitor for playing time at right guard. After being named the starter, he suffered a knee injury which required arthroscopic surgery. He also missed time after suffering a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...

in Week 13 and then again in Week 17. He ultimately appeared in nine games, starting eight. He appeared in 14 games during the 2013 season, with three starts. He remained with the Colts entering the 2014 season after he signed a one-year, $1.431 million qualifying offer as a restricted free agent. He appeared in 10 games that season, four of which he started. On March 10, 2015, he signed another contract extension. On March 7, 2017, he announced his retirement from the NFL.

Personal life

Reitz married his college sweetheart, Jill, in July 2010. Jill is a former track and field and cross country standout for Western Michigan. They have two daughters, Julianna, born in 2011 and Virginia, born in 2014 and two sons, AJ, born in 2013 and John, born in 2017. Reitz and his wife now has six children and two more on the way.

References

External links

Baltimore Ravens bioWestern Michigan Broncos basketball bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reitz, Joe 1985 births Living people Players of American football from Indianapolis Basketball players from Indianapolis Centers (basketball) Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball players American football offensive guards American football offensive tackles American football tight ends Baltimore Ravens players Miami Dolphins players Indianapolis Colts players American men's basketball players