Juan Joseph
Encyclopedia
Juan Joseph is a former professional Arena football
quarterback
who has also played American
and Canadian football
. He last played for the Lafayette Wildcatters of the SIFL
. He was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
for the Millsaps Majors
.
Joseph has also been a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
.
, where he was a member of the Rams 2003 and 2004 Class 2A State Championship teams. While in high school, he was a teammate of Kansas City Chiefs
' defensive lineman Tyson Jackson
and Tennessee Titans
' fullback
Quinn Johnson
. In high school, he played baseball, basketball and football, trying out for the football team in his sophomore year because all his friends were members.
Majors
of the NCAA
's Division III. He was offered a full scholarship at Alcorn State University
, but chose Millsaps because he wanted to attain a Business Degree from a nationally known Business College like Millsaps.
In 2005, his first year at Millsaps, Joseph split playing time as a backup quarterback. The Majors finished 2-7 on the year.
As a sophomore in 2006, Joseph led a resurgence of the Majors' struggling program, under the tutelage of new head coach Mike DuBose
, formerly the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide
. The Majors finished with a 7-4 record (6-0 in conference play), claiming the program's third SCAC
title and second-ever playoff berth. Joseph was named the conference's player of the year.
In 2007, Joseph again led the Majors to a SCAC title, the team finishing with an 8-2 record. He was again named the conference's player of the year.
As a senior in 2008, Joseph led the Majors to the second best season in the program's history. The team finished 11-1 and ranked #12 nationally in the D3football.com poll, after peaking at #3 during the season. Joseph was for the third consecutive year the SCAC player of the year. He also won the Conerly Trophy
, given annually to the best college football player in the state of Mississippi
, edging out fellow finalists and future first-round NFL Draft
selections Michael Oher
and Peria Jerry
. He was also a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy
.
Joseph played in 38 games for the Majors from 2005–2008, amassing 9,295 passing yards (244.6/game) and 87 passing touchdowns (2.3/game) compared to 27 interceptions, and completing 814 of 1,283 pass attempts (63.4%). He also rushed for 537 yards and 8 touchdowns on 161 attempts. During his tenure, the Majors accumulated a 28-14 overall win-loss record, including a 20-6 record in conference play, three SCAC title's and two playoff appearances. Joseph's priority while at college was not to play professionally. A good student, he admitted it would be nice, but this was not one of his goals.
for Kitwana Jones
on May 15, 2009. He was cut on June 25, 2009.
season. The team began the year 1-4 before Joseph became the starter. With Joseph at the helm, the team soared to a 5-1 turnaround, achieving a winning season and a playoff berth.
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who has also played American
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
. He last played for the Lafayette Wildcatters of the SIFL
Southern Indoor Football League
The Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in...
. He was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Millsaps Majors
Millsaps Majors
The Millsaps Majors is the nickname for the sports teams of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi and their colors are purple and white. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference....
.
Joseph has also been a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
.
Early years
Joseph attended West Saint John Parish High School in Edgard, LouisianaEdgard, Louisiana
Edgard is a census-designated place in and the parish seat of St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,637 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where he was a member of the Rams 2003 and 2004 Class 2A State Championship teams. While in high school, he was a teammate of Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
' defensive lineman Tyson Jackson
Tyson Jackson
-Kansas City Chiefs:Jackson was drafted by the Chiefs, who looked to implement him as DE into their new 3-4 defense. Jackson remained unsigned at the beginning of the Chiefs' training camp session and did not travel with the team to River Falls, Wisconsin...
and Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
' fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Quinn Johnson
Quinn Johnson
Quinn Johnson is an American football fullback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
. In high school, he played baseball, basketball and football, trying out for the football team in his sophomore year because all his friends were members.
College career
Joseph played collegiately for the Millsaps CollegeMillsaps College
Millsaps College is a private liberal arts college located in Jackson, Mississippi. Founded in 1890, the college is recognized as one of the country's best private colleges dedicated to undergraduate teaching and educating the whole individual. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, Millsaps...
Majors
Millsaps Majors
The Millsaps Majors is the nickname for the sports teams of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi and their colors are purple and white. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference....
of the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division III. He was offered a full scholarship at Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University is an historically black university comprehensive land-grant institution in Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871-History:...
, but chose Millsaps because he wanted to attain a Business Degree from a nationally known Business College like Millsaps.
In 2005, his first year at Millsaps, Joseph split playing time as a backup quarterback. The Majors finished 2-7 on the year.
As a sophomore in 2006, Joseph led a resurgence of the Majors' struggling program, under the tutelage of new head coach Mike DuBose
Mike DuBose
Mike DuBose is a former University of Alabama football player and the current defensive line coach for the Memphis Tigers. DuBose came to Memphis from Millsaps College, where he was the Majors' head coach from 2006 to 2009. He resurrected the school's struggling football program by winning...
, formerly the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
. The Majors finished with a 7-4 record (6-0 in conference play), claiming the program's third SCAC
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference , founded in 1962, is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas...
title and second-ever playoff berth. Joseph was named the conference's player of the year.
In 2007, Joseph again led the Majors to a SCAC title, the team finishing with an 8-2 record. He was again named the conference's player of the year.
As a senior in 2008, Joseph led the Majors to the second best season in the program's history. The team finished 11-1 and ranked #12 nationally in the D3football.com poll, after peaking at #3 during the season. Joseph was for the third consecutive year the SCAC player of the year. He also won the Conerly Trophy
Conerly Trophy
The Conerly Trophy or Cellular South Conerly Trophy is an award given annually to the best college football player in the state of Mississippi by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.-Voting:...
, given annually to the best college football player in the state of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, edging out fellow finalists and future first-round NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
selections Michael Oher
Michael Oher
Michael Jerome Oher is an American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Mississippi for the Ole Miss Rebels...
and Peria Jerry
Peria Jerry
-Atlanta Falcons:Jerry was signed to a five-year contract by the Falcons on July 30, 2009. Jerry competed with Trey Lewis to replace Grady Jackson, who was not re-signed by the Falcons, at defensive tackle....
. He was also a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy
Gagliardi Trophy
The Gagliardi Trophy was first presented in 1993 to the Outstanding Division III college football player of the year by the Jostens Company and the J-Club of Saint John's University in Minnesota...
.
Joseph played in 38 games for the Majors from 2005–2008, amassing 9,295 passing yards (244.6/game) and 87 passing touchdowns (2.3/game) compared to 27 interceptions, and completing 814 of 1,283 pass attempts (63.4%). He also rushed for 537 yards and 8 touchdowns on 161 attempts. During his tenure, the Majors accumulated a 28-14 overall win-loss record, including a 20-6 record in conference play, three SCAC title's and two playoff appearances. Joseph's priority while at college was not to play professionally. A good student, he admitted it would be nice, but this was not one of his goals.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Joseph was traded to the Saskatchewan RoughridersSaskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
for Kitwana Jones
Kitwana Jones
Kitwana Shaloyd Jones is a Canadian football defensive end for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League . He was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Jones has also played professionally for the Edmonton Eskimos...
on May 15, 2009. He was cut on June 25, 2009.
Lafayette Wildcatters
Joseph joined the Lafayette Wildcatters two days prior to the start of the 2010 SIFLSouthern Indoor Football League
The Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in...
season. The team began the year 1-4 before Joseph became the starter. With Joseph at the helm, the team soared to a 5-1 turnaround, achieving a winning season and a playoff berth.