Joe Tofflemire
Encyclopedia
Joseph Salvatore "Joe" Tofflemire (July 7, 1965 – September 27, 2011) was a Center
in the National Football League
who played for the Seattle Seahawks
.
Tofflemire was born in Los Angeles, California
. He was a 1989 graduate of The University of Arizona and was a Playboy
All-American and College Football News (CFN) All American in 1988. Tofflemire started
all 16 games for the Seahawks in the 1992 season
. Tofflemire was hurt the following year and was ultimately replaced by Ray Donaldson
as the starter.
Tofflemire grew up in Post Falls, Idaho
, as one of eight siblings born to John and Anna Tofflemire. He was a 1984 graduate of Post Falls High School where he was a three-year letterman in both track and football
and was named to the All State teams being named the Offensive Lineman of the year his senior year. In high school, he was an All Intermountain League First Team kicker
his junior and senior seasons. He kicked a 44 yard field goal his junior year in a State Playoff game versus Bishop Kelly which at that time was an Idaho
high school state record. He was moved up to the varsity team his freshman year as a kicker. He wore a size 14, black Spotbilt square toe kicking boot and was given the name "Joe the Toe" by assistant coach Steve Long during a practice session. The nickname stuck, and throughout his life he was referred to by former high school, college and pro teammates simply as "Toe". With a powerful leg, he could regularly kick the football through the uprights on kickoffs
.
, after being found unconscious and unresponsive in his Post Falls
home.
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
who played for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.
Tofflemire was born in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. He was a 1989 graduate of The University of Arizona and was a Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
All-American and College Football News (CFN) All American in 1988. Tofflemire started
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
all 16 games for the Seahawks in the 1992 season
1992 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1992 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 17th season with the National Football League. The 1992 season was the first season for head coach Tom Flores....
. Tofflemire was hurt the following year and was ultimately replaced by Ray Donaldson
Ray Donaldson
Raymond Canute Donaldson is a former American football Center who played 17 seasons in the National Football League. He was selected to six Pro Bowls and then he played in Super Bowl XXX as a member of the Dallas Cowboys...
as the starter.
Tofflemire grew up in Post Falls, Idaho
Post Falls, Idaho
Post Falls is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States near the Idaho state line between Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The population was 17,247 at the 2000 census, and grew to 27,574 people by the 2010 census, making it Idaho's tenth largest city.-History:Post Falls is...
, as one of eight siblings born to John and Anna Tofflemire. He was a 1984 graduate of Post Falls High School where he was a three-year letterman in both track and football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and was named to the All State teams being named the Offensive Lineman of the year his senior year. In high school, he was an All Intermountain League First Team kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
his junior and senior seasons. He kicked a 44 yard field goal his junior year in a State Playoff game versus Bishop Kelly which at that time was an Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
high school state record. He was moved up to the varsity team his freshman year as a kicker. He wore a size 14, black Spotbilt square toe kicking boot and was given the name "Joe the Toe" by assistant coach Steve Long during a practice session. The nickname stuck, and throughout his life he was referred to by former high school, college and pro teammates simply as "Toe". With a powerful leg, he could regularly kick the football through the uprights on kickoffs
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
.
Death
He died September 27, 2011, aged 46, in Coeur d'Alene, IdahoCoeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur...
, after being found unconscious and unresponsive in his Post Falls
Post Falls, Idaho
Post Falls is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States near the Idaho state line between Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The population was 17,247 at the 2000 census, and grew to 27,574 people by the 2010 census, making it Idaho's tenth largest city.-History:Post Falls is...
home.