Joe Staysniak
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| No. 72, 79 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Guard/Tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 8, 1966 Elyria, Ohio | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Grafton (OH) Midview | ||||||||
| College: | Ohio State | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1990 / round: 7 / pick: 185 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Joseph Andrew Staysniak (born December 8, 1966) is a former sports radio talk show host and a former professional American football offensive lineman who played six seasons in the NFL. Staysniak worked for the talk radio stations WIBC (FM) and WFNI (AM) in Indianapolis until August 2021.
Early life
Joe Staysniak played high school football at Midview High School in Grafton, Ohio.[1] After high school, Joe attended Ohio State University, where he was an academic standout and a member on the football team.[2] Staysniak was part of the 1986-87 Ohio State Big Ten championship team that defeated Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl Classic 28-12.[3] In 1989, Joe was selected as one of the team captains on the Buckeyes football team. During the same season, he was also named an Academic All-American and received All-Big Ten honors. In 2015, Neil Cornrich & NC Sports, listed Joe Staysniak number 68 on their list of Ohio State's top 100 football players of all-time.[4]
Professional career
Joe Staysniak was drafted in the 7th round (185th overall) by the San Diego Chargers in the 1990 NFL draft.[5] Although he was only a practice squad player for the Chargers, Bill Polian signed Staysniak to a contract with the Buffalo Bills.[6] Over the course of his NFL career, Joe Staysniak played for the Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Indianapolis Colts and the Arizona Cardinals. Joe Staysniak played in 63 games and made 33 starts during his professional career.[7] Big Joe started all 16 games for the Indianapolis Colts during the 1994 and 1995 NFL seasons. Joe was part of the Colts 1995 team that was led by quarterback Captain Comeback, Jim Harbaugh. The Colts eventually lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1995 AFC Championship Game 20-16.[8] In the game, Staysniak recovered a fumble deep in Colts territory to keep a critical drive alive for Indianapolis.
Radio
Joe was the co-host of a weekday morning sports radio talk show, "The Jeff and Big Joe Show," on 1070 the fan and 93.5 FM in Indianapolis.[9]
In 2014, Staysniak stated that he is against the notion of paying college athletes.[10]
“This just really infuriates me because apparently I was one of the extreme few that actually cherished my scholarship and went to get the education that everybody else had to pay for. I scream at the top of my lungs every day when some of these guys are screaming for more money, more money, more money. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous, but once again, I think it’s kind of the way our country has gone. We want more, but we want to do less. I think it’s terrible."
In reaction to the George Floyd Protests, on Wednesday June 3, 2020, Joe Staysniak stated on his radio show that black people needed to stop "being a victim," and that he found it "harder and harder to believe [black people] are being targeted" by the police. During the same show he also expressed his belief that kneeling in front of the American flag was a treasonous action, and that the Confederate flag was not a racist symbol. He was suspended for a week without pay.[11]
Later that week, his apology was read on air that following Friday by co-host Jeff Rickard:
"Discussing on air the riots that are happening around the country, I shared views about systemic racism that did not give the proper and due attention to the horrible injustices experienced regularly by African Americans in our society," Staysniak said. "I did not stop to consider that my own experience being raised in a family of police officers is not the same as the experiences of so many in our community and in our county. For this I apologize."
In August 2021, Joe left the show the same week that co-host Rickard left for a new position at WEEI-FM 93.7 in Boston. His last show was on August 13.[13]
Personal life
Joe Staysniak resides in Brownsburg, Indiana with his wife and child.[14]
References
- ^ "Joe Staysniak 1985" at Midview Athletic Hall of Fame (accessed 2012-06-24).
- ^ "Staysniak masters balance between grades, athletics", Associated Press in Portsmouth Daily Times, November 8, 1989.
- ^ Hayes, Thomas C. (2 January 1987). "Cotton Bowl; Ohio St. Intercepts Texas A&M, 28-12". The New York Times.
- ^ "TOP 100 OHIO STATE PLAYERS: NO. 68, Joe Staysniak".
- ^ "Joe Staysniak Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ http://www.flyergroup.com/news/local_news/big-joe/article_9d7d37b0-6350-5528-a0b2-b8a5976de2a2.html [dead link]
- ^ "Joe Staysniak Stats, News and Video - T". NFL.com.
- ^ "1995 AFC Championship game still haunts Harbaugh". 12 May 2011.
- ^ http://www.1070thefan.com/personalities/grady-and-big-joe-show
- ^ "Audacy: Listen to 500+ Live Radio Stations, Free". 5 March 2021.
- ^ "Ex-Colts OL Joe Staysniak Suspended by Radio Station for Racist Comments". Bleacher Report.
- ^ "Joe Staysniak Suspended from WFNI/Indy for Racist Comments".
- ^ "Local sports talk morning radio show loses both co-hosts".
- ^ http://www.flyergroup.com/news/local_news/big-joe/article_9d7d37b0-6350-5528-a0b2-b8a5976de2a2.html [dead link]