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Linval Joseph
File:Linval Joseph.JPG
Joseph with the Minnesota Vikings in 2015
No. 98     
Defensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1988-10-10) October 10, 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth: Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Career information
College: East Carolina
NFL Draft: 2010 / Round: 2 / Pick: 46
No regular season or postseason appearances
Career history
*New York Giants ( 2010 2013)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
* Super Bowl champion (XLVI)
Career NFL statistics as of 2018
Total tackles     481
Sacks     21.0
Forced fumbles     7
Fumble recoveries     5
Defensive touchdowns     1
Stats at NFL.com

Linval Clement Joseph (born October 10, 1988) is an American football defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round, 46th overall of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Early years[]

Joseph was born in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. He attended Santa Fe High School in Alachua, Florida, where he was a four-year letterman in football for the Raiders. He was a two-time All-State selection (Class AAA) as a junior and senior, as well as an All-region selection.

In addition to football, Joseph also lettered three-times in both Powerlifting and track, earning a total of 10 varsity letters. In Powerlifting, Joseph recorded lifts of 415 (bench press) and 560 (squat). As a junior, he captured the Florida State Bench Press Championship with 415 pounds and the Florida State Weightlifting Championship with a 320 pound clean jerk. In track & field, Joseph was one of the state's top performers in the throwing events with personal-bests of 17.13 meters (56'2.75") in the shot put and 48.41 meters (158'10") in the discus. In 2005, he captured the district and regional titles in the shot put and the discus.[1][2] He advanced to the state finals in the shot put and discus as a junior and senior; in 2006, he placed 3rd in the shot put and 2nd in the discus,[3] and as a senior, he won the state title in the shot put.[4] He was also timed at 5.0 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Regarded as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com,[5] Joseph was featured in the 2007 Rivals Recruiting Yearbook. He was rated as the 44th-ranked defensive tackle nationally and 59th-ranked recruit out of the state of Florida. He was considered among the region's top prospects and among the top 500 overall prospects in the country (deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on a college team). He was viewed as the 76th-ranked overall recruit in Florida by SuperPrep Magazine.

College career[]

Joseph attended East Carolina University from 2007 to 2009. During his collegiate career, he totaled 143 tackles, including 29.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks. He was named first-team All-Conference USA (C-USA) as a junior in 2009.

Freshman season (2007)[]

As a true freshman, Joseph played in all 13 games with four starts, recording 40 overall total tackles (13 solo, 27 assists). His 8.5 tackles for a loss of 23 yards ranked fourth on the team, while his five quarterback hurries ranked fourth. He was part of a defensive front that held four opponents to 80 rushing yards or less. He notched his first career start against #5 West Virginia in the fourth week of the season, finishing with four total tackles. He made his collegiate debut on national television in the season opener at Virginia Tech but was not credited with any statistics in the game. His first career sack (half) came against Southern Miss for a 3-yard loss. He also recovered a fumble in that game against the Eagles. On November 10, he collected a season-high eight tackles (three solo, five assists) in the Pirates' loss at Marshall. He was named to the 2007 Conference USA All-Freshman Team by the media and coaches.

Sophomore season (2008)[]

As a sophomore in 2008, Joseph was among East Carolina top 10 tacklers, finishing with a total of 43 stops, with eight of those coming behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 34 yards. He played in all 14 games and opened the last nine consecutive contests on the inside of the Pirates' defensive front. He posted six or more stops in three of the last four games and was an honorable mention All-Conference USA selection by the league coaches. He helped the Pirates' defensive unit hold three opponents to under 100 rushing yards and two opponents to less than 100 passing yards, while forcing a total of 33 turnovers that ranked seventh in the nation. He opened the year as a preseason All-Conference USA selection by analyst Phil Steele, despite missing much of fall camp due to a back injury, which came after losing +70 pounds following the 2007 campaign. He made his first start of the year against Virginia on October 11 and never left the starting lineup for the remainder of the year. On December 6, he enjoyed a career-high nine-tackle performance against Tulsa in the Conference USA Championship Game, which also included a forced fumble and a batted pass. In the third quarter, he dropped Golden Hurricane quarterback David Johnson behind the line on a rush where he forced his first career fumble on a third-and-five play. He then followed with seven stops against Kentucky in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, a career-best three resulting in lost yardage. He was also credited with a pair of blocked extra-point attempts against the Wildcats.

Junior season (2009)[]

In the 2009 season, Joseph appeared in all 14 games. He recorded 60 tackles, three sacks, 13 tackles-for-loss, and one pass defended. Following his junior season in 2009, Joseph announced his intention to forgo his remaining eligibility at East Carolina and enter the 2010 NFL Draft.

Statistics[]

Regular season statistics Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
Season Team GP GS Comb Total Ast Sck Tfl PDef Int Yds Avg Lng TDs FF FR FR YDS
2007 East Carolina 13 4 40 13 27 1.0 8.5 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
2008 East Carolina 14 9 43 22 21 2.5 8.0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0
2009 East Carolina 14 14 60 22 38 3.0 13.0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 41 27 143 57 86 6.5 29.5 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0

Professional career[]

File:Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg External video
File:Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Joseph performs at the NFL Combine
Pre-draft measureables
Ht WtArm lengthHand size 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP
6 ft 4 ½ in 328 lb34 ½ in10 in 5.04 s 1.74 s 2.86 s 4.52 s 7.62 s 31½ in 8 ft 6 in 39 reps

New York Giants[]

File:Linval Joseph 2012.jpg

Joseph in 2012

Joseph was drafted by the New York Giants with the 46th overall pick in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed with the Giants on July 31, 2010.[6] Joseph played for the Giants from 2010-2013, starting 46 of 53 regular-season games. He also started all four of the Giants’ victories in their 2011 Super Bowl run when they held Atlanta, Green Bay, San Francisco, and New England to an average of 14 points per game.

2010 season[]

Joseph was inactive in 10 games as a rookie in 2010 and only played in six games. On December 26, he had a season-best five solo stops versus the Green Bay Packers. He played his first NFL game against the Chicago Bears in Week 4, and was credited with a tackle in the game. Joseph finished his first season as a Giant with 8 combined tackles, six of them solo.

2011 season[]

Joseph was moved into a full-time starter role in his second year, starting 15 games and playing in all 16 contests. He opened all four playoff games en route to Super Bowl XLVI title. On October 30, he notched his first career sack on Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore. In Week 13, he had a season-high 9 solo tackles in the Giants' loss to the Green Bay Packers. He had three tackles each in the opening three playoff games of the Giants' run to the Super Bowl.[7]

Joseph started in Super Bowl XLVI as the Giants defeated the New England Patriots by a score of 21–17.[8]

2012 season[]

In 2012, Joseph started all 16 games for the Giants for the first time in his career, recording a career-high 59 tackles that ranked 5th on the team while also posting 4.0 sacks and a forced fumble. On October 21 against the Washington Redskins, he forced a fumble and recovered it, helping the Giants prevail over the Redskins 27-23. In Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys, Joseph had 2 sacks as his team's defense picked up a total of 4 sacks of Tony Romo and forcing 6 turnovers, as the New York Giants won the game 29-24.[9]

2013 season[]

In the 2013 season, Joseph started 15 games. Joseph was part of a Giants defense that ranked twelfth in the NFL in total defense. In the Giants' Week 3 loss against the Carolina Panthers, he posted a season-high 8 tackles. He missed the Philadelphia game with an injury in Week 5. On December 15, he notched seven tackles and a sack against the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Joseph finished his last season as a Giant with 59 tackles, 3.0 sacks, and a forced fumble.

Minnesota Vikings[]

On March 11, 2014, Joseph signed a five-year, $31.5 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings, including a $3 million signing bonus, $12.5 million guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $6.25 million. In 2015, Joseph will earn a base salary of $3.9 million and a workout bonus of $100,000. Joseph has a cap hit of $4.6 million while his dead money value is $6.1 million.[10]

2014 season[]

Joseph was one of nine people who were shot by a gunman inside the Minneapolis nightclub 400 Soundbar on August 11, 2014.[11] A stray bullet struck him in the calf. The Vikings characterized the injury as "minor."[12] In Joseph's first regular season game with his new team, he was credited with five tackles and a sack in the Vikings' 34-6 victory at St. Louis to give new head coach Mike Zimmer the first career win on his head coaching record.

2015 season[]

Joseph was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after his performance in the Vikings 21-18 overtime win over the St. Louis Rams in Week 9. Joseph was credited with 10 tackles (7 solo), 0.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 pressures in the victory, earning a +11.4 grade from Pro Football Focus. The 10 combined tackles tied for the most by a defensive tackle in a game this season. Joseph became the first Viking defensive tackle to win the award in over a decade (the last was Kevin Williams in 2004) and first Viking defender to receive the honor since linebacker Anthony Barr in 2014. He was ranked 76th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.[13]

2016 season[]

In the Vikings' Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans, Joseph contributed with five tackles and sacked quarterback Marcus Mariota for a 9-yard loss in the second half. Joseph finished third on the team in total tackles with 77 (100 according to the coaches’ tally), tied his career high with 4.0 sacks, and added seven tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. Joseph became the fifth Vikings defensive tackle to have at least 100 tackles and 4.0 sacks in a season, joining Alan Page, James White, Charlie Johnson and Henry Thomas. On January 12, 2017, Joseph was selected to his first Pro Bowl as an injury replacement for Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams, becoming the first Vikings defensive tackle to be selected since Kevin Williams in 2010 and joining Vikings teammates Everson Griffen, Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes, and Cordarrelle Patterson at the annual showcase game.[14]

2017 season[]

On August 5, 2017, Joseph signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension with the Vikings with $31.5 million guaranteed.[15] He started all 16 games, finishing second in the league among defensive tackles with 68 tackles. On January 22, 2018, Joseph was named to his second straight Pro Bowl.[16] He was ranked 83rd on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[17]

2018 season

On October 7, 2018 in the fifth game of the season versus the Philadelphia Eagles, Joseph scored a 65 yard touchdown off a fumble recovery. This was the first TD of his NFL career. Joseph finished the 2018 season with 58 tackles, 1 sack, and one force fumble.

Career statistics[]

Regular season statistics Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
Season Team GP GS Comb Total Ast Sck Sfty PDef Int Yds Avg Lng TDs FF FR FR YDS
2010 New York Giants 6 0 8 6 2 0.0 -- 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
2011 New York Giants 16 15 49 34 15 2.0 -- 4 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
2012 New York Giants 16 16 59 33 26 4.0 -- 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0
2013 New York Giants 15 15 59 33 26 3.0 -- 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0
2014 Minnesota Vikings 16 16 47 28 19 3.0 -- 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
2015 Minnesota Vikings 12 12 56 42 14 0.5 -- 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0
2016 Minnesota Vikings 16 16 77 37 40 4.0 -- 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 0 0
2017 Minnesota Vikings 16 16 68 40 28 3.5 -- 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
2018 Minnesota Vikings 15 15 58 36 22 1.0 -- 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 1 64
Totals 113 107 423 253 170 20.0 -- 6 0 0 0.0 0 0 6 1 64

[18]

References[]

  1. http://fl.milesplit.com/meets/10870/results/23002
  2. http://fl.milesplit.com/meets/11098/results/23517
  3. http://fl.milesplit.com/meets/17451/results/34520
  4. http://fl.milesplit.com/meets/21200/results/46741
  5. Linval Joseph - Yahoo Sports
  6. New York Giants sign 2nd-round draft pick, defensive tackle Linval Joseph
  7. "Linval Joseph 2011 Game Log" (in en). https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JoseLi99/gamelog/2011.
  8. "Super Bowl XLVI - New York Giants vs. New England Patriots - February 5th, 2012" (in en). https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201202050nwe.htm.
  9. http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2012102810/2012/REG8/giants@cowboys#menu=highlights&tab=analyze
  10. Linval Joseph signs with Minnesota Vikings
  11. McKinney, Matt (August 10, 2014). "All nine people shot at Minneapolis nightclub expected to survive". Star Tribune. http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/270699791.html.
  12. "Linval Joseph OK after being shot". ESPN. August 10, 2014. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11330659/linval-joseph-minnesota-vikings-hit-stray-bullet-club.
  13. NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 - No. 76 Linval Joseph
  14. Linval Joseph selected to first career Pro Bowl
  15. Patra, Kevin (August 5, 2017). "Linval Joseph, Vikings strike $50 million extension". http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000826057/article/linval-joseph-vikings-strike-50-million-extension.
  16. "Linval Joseph, Kyle Rudolph, Harrison Smith Named to 2018 Pro Bowl". January 22, 2018. http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/Linval-Joseph-Kyle-Rudolph-Harrison-Smith-Named-to-2018-Pro-Bowl/c52bacec-ad98-41c7-9550-08824eb41d31.
  17. "Top 100 Players of 2018': Minnesota Vikings nose tackle Linval Joseph". http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-top100-2018/0ap3000000930728/Top-100-Players-of-2018-Linval-Joseph-No-83.
  18. "Linval Joseph Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/13281/linval-joseph. Retrieved April 30, 2015.

External links[]

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