Eric Steinbach

Eric Steinbach

No. 65
Guard
Personal information
Date of birth: (1980-04-04) April 4, 1980
Place of birth: Joliet, Illinois
High School: New Lenox (IL) Providence
Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	Weight: 295 lb (134 kg)
Career information
College: Iowa
NFL Draft: 2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33
Debuted in 2003 for the Cincinnati Bengals
Last played in 2011 for the Cleveland Browns
Career history
* Cincinnati Bengals ( 2003− 2006) Cleveland Browns ( 2007− 2011) Miami Dolphins (2012)* *Offseason member only
Career highlights and awards
* Consensus All-American (2002) Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year (2002) First-team All-Big Ten (2001, 2002)
Career NFL statistics as of 2011
Games played	125
Games started	124
Fumbles recovered	3
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com

Eric Steinbach (born April 4, 1980) is a former American football guard who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa, and earned All-American honors. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played for the Bengals from 2003 to 2006 and the Cleveland Browns from 2007 to 2011.

Early years

Steinbach was born in Joliet, Illinois. He attended Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, and played for the Providence Catholic Celtics high school football team. He helped his team to a 50-game winning streak and four consecutive state championships. As a senior he had 46 tackles, 55 assists, and a school record 26 quarterback sacks on his way to being named conference most valuable player and first-team all-state. One of the top high school players in the country, he was named Super Prep and PrepStar all-American.

College career

While attending the University of Iowa, Steinbach played for coach Kirk Ferentz's Iowa Hawkeyes football team from 1999 to 2002. He received first-team All-Big Ten honors twice (2001, 2002), was the Big Ten Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year (2002), and was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American (2002). Steinbach majored in education.

Professional career

Cincinnati Bengals

In the 2003 NFL Draft, Steinbach was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round (33rd overall) and was immediately named a starter. Through the 2006 season, Steinbach has appeared in 63 regular-season games, 62 as a starter, missing only one game. Steinbach's relentless work-ethic makes him a standout at the guard position. Yahoo! Sports called him one of the Top 10 Free Agents to watch for a few months prior to the end of the 2006 season. The versatile and durable Steinbach can play at the guard, tackle, and center positions on the offensive line, and his speed and athleticism help to make him one of the leagues premier pulling lineman.

Cleveland Browns

On March 2, 2007, (the first day of the year's NFL free agency period) the Browns signed Steinbach to a seven-year, $49.5 million contract (of which $17 million was guaranteed), making him at the time one of the highest paid offensive lineman in the league. He had consistently been rated as a top five free agent (and widely considered number one among offensive lineman) following the 2006 season by every major sports authority.

On December 18, 2007, Steinbach was named as a first alternate for the 2008 Pro Bowl at offensive guard.

The Browns released Steinbach on March 14, 2012.

Miami Dolphins

Steinbach was signed by the Miami Dolphins on July 26, 2012. He retired from football on August 22, 2012.

External links

• Miami Dolphins bio
• Cleveland Browns bio

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