Joe Mays (American football)

Joseph Lamont "Joe" Mays (born July 6, 1985) is an American football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft after playing college football at North Dakota State.

Early years
Joe attended Hyde Park High School in Chicago, Illinois. He did not play football until his junior year of high school. He earned first-team all-conference honors in both his junior and senior years. He was a first-team all-city selection as a senior in football after he made 115 tackles, 16 sacks and two interceptions.

College career
As a senior at North Dakota State, Mays led the team on defense with 90 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks. He earned All-American honors and was named the Great West Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Mays was a three-time first-team All-Great West Conference selection in his career. He made 285 total tackles, a school-record 159 solo tackles, 29.5 tackles-for-loss, three interceptions and eleven sacks in his 31 games started and 43 games played in his career.

Philadelphia Eagles
Mays was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He spent most of the 2008 season inactive, but played in the last two games of the season on special teams.

On August 2, 2009, the starting linebacker for the Eagles, Stewart Bradley, suffered a season-ending torn ACL during training camp. At subsequent Eagles practices, Mays was promoted to Bradley's position, middle linebacker, although Omar Gaither beat him out for the job.

Denver Broncos
Mays was traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for running back J. J. Arrington on July 30, 2010.

On September 25, 2012, Mays was suspended for one game and fined $50,000 dollars by the NFL for his hit on the Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub that took off Schaub's earlobe.

Personal
Mays earned a degree in physical education from North Dakota State. He and his wife, LaToyia, have one son, Jai, and one daughter, Joi.