Joseph Anthony Bosa (born July 11, 1995) is an
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 ...
outside linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pla ...
for the
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most o ...
at
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
and was selected third overall by the (then San Diego) Chargers in the
2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft ...
, where he was named
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Bosa has since been cited as among the best pass rushers in the NFL. He is the son of former NFL player
John Bosa
John Wilfred Bosa (born January 10, 1964) is a former American football defensive end who played three seasons for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played football for Keene High School in Keene, New Hampshire and ...
and the older brother of current NFL player
Nick Bosa.
High school career
Bosa attended
St. Thomas Aquinas High School in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...
, where he played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
and
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
for the Raiders. He was rated by
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heck ...
as a four-star recruit and was ranked as the fourth best defensive end in his class. Bosa committed to play
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most o ...
at
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publi ...
in April 2012.
College career
As a true freshman in 2013, Bosa started 10 of 14 games, recording 44 tackles and 7.5
sacks. He was named a freshman
All-American by the ''
Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'' and ''
College Football News
''College Football News'' (''CFN'') is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis include ...
''. In 2014, Bosa was named a Unanimous First-team All-American, becoming the 27th Buckeye in 84 years to do so. He finished his sophomore year with 13.5 sacks on 55 tackles. He earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
On July 30, 2015, it was announced that Bosa would be suspended from the first game of the 2015 season with three other Ohio State football players for undisclosed reasons. During his junior year, Bosa finished with five sacks and an interception on 47 tackles. On December 31, 2015, he announced his intentions to enter the
2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft ...
. During the
2016 Fiesta Bowl against
Notre Dame on January 1, 2016, Bosa was ejected in the first quarter for a targeting penalty when he made a hit on quarterback
DeShone Kizer
DeShone Allen Kizer (born January 3, 1996) is an American football quarterback who has played in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He played college football at Notre Dame and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sec ...
. Ohio State won the Bowl game by a score of 44–28. After his junior season, he entered the
2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft ...
.
Bosa was a highly decorated Buckeye receiving National and Conference honors beginning his Freshman year. In 2013, Bosa was named a First-team Freshman All-American as well as selected to the Freshman All-Big Ten First-team. In 2014, his sophomore year, he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Lineman of the Year, First-team All-American, and All-Big Ten, as well as a Lombardi Award Finalist. He repeated most of the honors his Junior year, falling short of claiming the
Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year for the second time.
College statistics
Professional career
In March 2016, Bosa was projected to be a top 10 pick in the
2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft ...
by NFL analyst
Daniel Jeremiah. Bosa received an invitation to the NFL combine as a top prospect in the upcoming draft. He completed all of the required combine drills and also participated in positional drills. Bosa met and interviewed with 13 NFL teams at the combine, including the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and th ...
,
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
,
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 divis ...
,
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ...
, and
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their ...
. His overall performance at the combine was thought by scouts to be impressive.
Bosa was drafted in the first round with the third overall selection by the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
. He was the first of five Ohio State players to be drafted in the first round of the
2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft ...
, followed by
Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. E ...
,
Eli Apple
Eli Apple (né Woodard, born August 9, 1995) is an American football cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a part of the team that won the 2015 Coll ...
,
Taylor Decker, and
Darron Lee.
For the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
My Cause My Cleats program, Bosa has worn cleats in support of pediatric cancer research. The cleats include #MoreThan4 to advocate that more than 4 percent of funding from the National Cancer Institute total annual budget should be allocated to pediatric cancer research.
In May 2021, as part of a
Mental Health Awareness Month campaign for the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
, Bosa spoke about how he learned to focus on physical and mental well-being.
2016 season
Bosa missed the first four weeks of the season due to a hamstring injury. On October 9, Bosa made his regular season debut against
AFC West
The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las ...
rival
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Rai ...
. Although Bosa only played 27 snaps, he finished the game with two sacks, a hit, and four hurries. The following game against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
, he had one quarterback hit, five hurries, and a stop while also drawing double teams throughout the game. Bosa was named Defensive Rookie of the Month for October. Despite being limited to 12 games, Bosa finished his rookie year with 41 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. He was named the
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. He was ranked as the 100th best player in the league by his peers on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.
2017 season
Bosa followed his impressive rookie season with a solid second season, which began with the Chargers' move from San Diego to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. He and
Melvin Ingram formed one of the best pass rushing duos in the league, with Bosa totaling 70 tackles and 12.5 sacks - seventh in the NFL. On December 19, 2017, Bosa was named to his first Pro Bowl. He was ranked #37 by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.
2018 season
Bosa suffered a foot injury, which sidelined him until Week 11 of the 2018 season. In seven games, he recorded 5.5 sacks, 23 combined tackles, nine quarterback hits, and one fumble recovery. He made his playoff debut in the
Wild Card Round against the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and th ...
. In the 23-17 win, he had one sack, two tackles, and one quarterback hit. In the
Divisional Round against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The P ...
, he had one tackle in the 41-28 loss. He was ranked 56th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.
2019 season
On April 12, 2019, Bosa switched his jersey number from 99 to 97. He wore 97 during his tenure with
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
. On April 23, 2019, the Chargers picked up the fifth-year option on Bosa's contract.
In Week 7 against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their ...
, Bosa sacked
Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Timothy Tannehill III (born July 27, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M, where he was a wide receiver until his junior year, ...
twice in the 23–20 loss.
In Week 8 against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
, Bosa recorded another two sacks on
Mitch Trubisky in the 17–16 win.
He was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance while his brother,
Nick Bosa, won the award for the NFC.
In Week 14 against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
, Bosa sacked rookie quarterback
Gardner Minshew twice in the 45–10 blowout win. Bosa made the Pro Bowl after accumulating 11.5 sacks and 67 tackles in total for the 2019 season. He was ranked 34th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.
2020 season
On July 28, 2020, Bosa signed a five-year, $135 million contract extension with the Chargers, making him the highest-paid defensive player in the league. In Week 12 against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
, Bosa recorded three sacks on
Josh Allen and recovered a fumble lost by Allen during the 27–17 loss. He earned his third Pro Bowl nomination. He was ranked 32nd by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2021.
2021 season
The 2021 season saw Bosa record a career-high 7 forced fumbles. Bosa's best single game for solo tackles in the 2021 season was the October 17, 2021, loss to the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and th ...
. Bosa made 5 solo tackles in the Chargers loss to the Ravens.
Bosa earned his fourth trip to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thr ...
but did not play after pulling out of the game with an undisclosed injury.
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pl ...
Junior Seau and Bosa are the only Chargers defensive players selected to four Pro Bowls over the first five seasons of a career. He was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2022 list.
2022 season
During Week 3 against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
, Bosa left the game with a groin injury. It was later revealed that he needed surgery to repair the core muscle area of the groin. He was placed on injured reserve on September 28, 2022. He was designated to return from injured reserve on December 29, 2022. He was activated from injured reserve two days later.
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Bosa's father,
John Bosa
John Wilfred Bosa (born January 10, 1964) is a former American football defensive end who played three seasons for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played football for Keene High School in Keene, New Hampshire and ...
, played in the NFL from 1987 to 1989. His brother,
Nick Bosa, also played defensive end at Ohio State, and was drafted by the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
with the second overall pick in 2019. His cousin
Jake Kumerow is also an NFL player. Bosa's grandfather
Palmer Pyle, uncle
Eric Kumerow, and grand-uncle
Mike Pyle all played in the NFL as well, while his great-grandfather was
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, t ...
boss
Tony Accardo
Anthony Joseph Accardo (; born Antonino Leonardo Accardo, ; April 28, 1906 – May 22, 1992), also known as "Joe Batters" and "Big Tuna", was an American longtime mobster. In a criminal career that spanned eight decades, he rose from small-time h ...
.
References
External links
*
Los Angeles Chargers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bosa, Joey
1995 births
Living people
Players of American football from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
American football defensive ends
American football defensive tackles
American football linebackers
Ohio State Buckeyes football players
All-American college football players
San Diego Chargers players
Los Angeles Chargers players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
National Football League Defensive Rookie of the Year Award winners