Joseph David Berger ( ; born May 25, 1982) 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 ...

in 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 ...

(NFL) for the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

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 ...

and

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

. He was drafted by the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...

in the sixth 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 ...

. He played college football at

Michigan Tech Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the Upper Peninsula of Michiga ...

Early years

Berger attended Newaygo High School in Newaygo, Michigan. During his two-year varsity football career, he played as an offensive lineman, and

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, ...

. He finished with 238

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football ** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking u ...

and one

interception In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team ...

. As a senior, he was the team captain, an All-Western Waterways Activities Conference selection, and an Academic All-State honorable-mention.

College career

Berger was a walk-on at Michigan Technological University, where he was converted from a

into an offensive tackle. He started three games at

left tackle Tackle is a playing position in gridiron football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, o ...

as a

redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Entertainment * ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi * Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after ...

freshman. As a junior in 2003, the football program was terminated due to budgets cuts made by the school, but through alumni funding, it was brought back in 10 days. He was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury in a game against Grand Valley State University. As a senior, he contributed to the team win the

GLIAC The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is a competitive college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The GLIAC was founded in June 1972. Its ele ...

championship. He finished his college career with 28 games started at

right tackle Tackle is a playing position in gridiron football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, ...

and three at

. He was a four-time Academic All-GLIAC selection, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District pick, and a two-time All-American pick as a

. He also played in the

Cactus Bowl The Guaranteed Rate Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that has been played in the state of Arizona since 1989. Played as the Copper Bowl from inception through 1996, it was known as the Insight.com Bowl from 1997 through 2001, then ...

and the

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

All-Star game.

Professional career

Carolina Panthers

Berger was selected by the

with their second of two sixth-round draft choices in the sixth round (207th overall) of the

, becoming one of only three football players to be drafted from Michigan Tech and the first since

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

when the Giants selected quarterback

Dave Walter David Lee Russell Walter (born December 9, 1964) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football for the Michigan Tech Huskies Michigan Techn ...

in the 11th round (307th overall). The other Michigan Tech draftee, running back Jim Van Wagner, was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round (183rd overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft. He was waived on September 3 and was signed to the practice squad one day later. He would never play in a regular-season game with the franchise.

Miami Dolphins (first stint)

On September 7, 2005, he was picked up by the

from the Panthers practice squad before the start of the season. He was declared inactive in two games and played in each of the final three games as a backup. In 2006, a sprained right foot suffered in training camp kept him inactive during 11 games. He was waived on November 23.

Dallas Cowboys

On November 24, 2006, Berger was claimed off waivers by the

, but was inactive for the rest of the season (five games). In 2007, he was active for three games, but only played in the 4th quarter of the season finale in place of Leonard Davis at right guard. In 2008, he played on

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

during the first three games of the season and was declared inactive for the final 11. During his time with the Cowboys, the team had a strong

offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

and Berger had a difficult time competing for playing time.

Miami Dolphins (second stint)

On February 27, 2009, Berger signed as an

unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...

with the

, reuniting with former Cowboys head coach

Bill Parcells Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells (born August 22, 1941) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He rose to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 1983 ...

, who was the team's Executive Vice President of Football Operations. Although he was signed as a backup player, due to his ability to play multiple offensive line positions, he beat out

Jake Grove Charles Jacob Grove (born January 22, 1980) is a former American college and professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for Virginia Tech, and was recognized ...

for the starting center position, playing in 31 out of 32 games over the next two seasons, starting 20 of them. He was released on September 5, 2011, before the start of the regular season, after the team signed Ryan Cook.

Minnesota Vikings

On September 12, 2011, Berger signed with the

the day after the regular-season opener. On March 12, 2013, Berger re-signed with the Vikings on a one-year deal.

2011 season

Berger spent training camp and preseason with the

and was acquired by the Vikings on September 12, 2011, the day after the regular-season opener at San Diego. In his first season as a Viking, Berger played in 13 games, starting seven at

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

right guard Right Guard is an American brand of deodorant and shower gel that is manufactured and sold by Thriving Brands LLC. It is the second largest brand in the male deodorant category in the United States. Right Guard was introduced in 1960 by The Gi ...

and

left guard In gridiron football, a guard (G), otherwise known as an offensive guard (OG), is a player who lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team on the line of scrimmage used primarily for blocking. Right g ...

during the season. He saw extended action at Chicago in week six, replacing injured starter John Sullivan at center in the 2nd half. He then started a 4-game span at right guard in place of starter

Anthony Herrera Anthony John Herrera (January 19, 1944 – June 21, 2011) was an American actor. Early life and family background Herrera was born on January 19, 1944, in Wiggins, Mississippi, to Theresa Jewel (née Blackburn) and Rafael Antonio Herrera. His ...

, with the first of the four games coming at Carolina on October 30. He started his first game of the season at center against the Green Bay Packers in week seven, the first start of rookie quarterback

Christian Ponder Christian Andrew Ponder (born February 25, 1988) is a former American football quarterback. He played for the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Florida State, and was drafted by the Minnesot ...

’s career. He started in the final two games of season at left guard in place of starter Steve Hutchinson.

2012 season

In 2012, Berger played in all 16 games. He was primarily used on special teams, where he was a regular on a

kickoff return A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in gridiron football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team". The receiving team is then entitled to ''return' ...

unit that ranked among the NFL leaders in return average and was tied for 3rd in the NFL with six returns of 40 yards or more on the season. He saw his first career playoff action in the NFC Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers on January 5, 2013.

2013 season

In 2013, Berger appeared in all 16 games, starting two, contributing on special teams and providing depth along the offensive line. He started at

and

in place of injured starters Charlie Johnson and

Brandon Fusco Brandon Fusco (born July 26, 1988) is a former American football guard. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the 172nd overall pick in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Slippery Rock University of Pe ...

against Washington and Philadelphia. He played a vital role on a kickoff return unit that helped rookie wide receiver

Cordarrelle Patterson Cordarrelle Patterson ( ; born March 17, 1991), nicknamed "Flash", is an American football player for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). A versatile utility player, he plays running back, wide receiver, return specialist ...

set team records for return yards (1,393), return average (32.4) and return touchdowns (2).

2014 season

On March 12, 2014, the Vikings re-signed Berger to a one-year contract. Berger appeared in all 16 games and started the final nine games at

after starter

was placed on IR, with the team going 5-4 in his starts and with Berger playing a key role in protecting

Teddy Bridgewater Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr. (born November 10, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Born and raised in Miami, Florida, he graduated from Miami Northwestern high school ...

on his way to the most productive season by a rookie quarterback in team history. On October 19, 2014, Berger came into a game against the Buffalo Bills after starting center John Sullivan suffered a concussion; he blocked for rookie running back

Jerick McKinnon Jerick Deshun McKinnon (born May 3, 1992), nicknamed Jet, is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Southern and was drafted by the Minnesota Vik ...

’s 103-rushing yard effort against one of the NFL’s best run defenses and allowed no sacks and recorded a tackle. Berger finished the season having played in 61 consecutive games.

2015 season

In August 2015, starting center John Sullivan suffered a season-ending back injury and was placed on injured reserve. Berger was named as the Vikings starting center and started every game for the 2015 season, helping

Adrian Peterson Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...

run for a league-leading 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns. For his performance, Berger was named the league’s best run blocker by

Pro Football Focus Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...

(PFF). After 11 years in the league, this was Berger's first NFL season starting all 16 games. On January 6, 2016, Berger was rated 26.8 by Pro Football Focus (PFF), the highest among all centers in the NFL for the season. Over the final half of the regular season, Berger earned an above-average grade of +1.0 or higher in every game, including a peak of +5.3 against a stout Oakland Raiders defensive line in week 10. He was also the most consistent center as he had the lowest percentage of negatively-graded run blocks at the position.

2016 season

During training camp, Berger won the battle against veteran John Sullivan to be the Vikings’ starting center. On September 9, the team announced that Berger signed a one-year contract extension. He started 14 games. He missed two contests with a concussion he suffered in the eleventh game against the Detroit Lions.

2017 season

After the Vikings drafted center Pat Elflein in the third round, Berger was moved to right guard, where he started all 16 games. He led the offense with 1,116 snaps played, which were at right guard and one game at center, in place for an injured Pat Elflein against the Chicago Bears.

Retirement

On March 23, 2018, Berger announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons.

Personal life

Berger graduated '' magna cum laude'' with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Tech in 2005. He married his wife, Abigail, in 2004. They have four children.

References

External links

Michigan Tech alumni bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, Joe 1982 births Living people People from Newaygo, Michigan Players of American football from Michigan American football offensive tackles American football offensive guards American football centers Michigan Tech Huskies football players Carolina Panthers players Miami Dolphins players Dallas Cowboys players Minnesota Vikings players