Max Starks
Encyclopedia
Maximillian Weisner "Max" Starks, IV (born January 10, 1982) is an American football
offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers
of the National Football League
(NFL). He played college football
for the University of Florida
. He was drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft
, and is in his eighth season with the team.
. He attended Orlando Christian School for sixth to eighth graders, where he played basketball and volleyball for the OCS Knights. He was known as the "Gentle Giant". As an eighth grader he wore size 15 shoes — when he had a difficult time finding shoes that fit he borrowed shoes from NBA
star Shaquille O'Neal
, who played at the time for the Orlando Magic
For high school
, Starks attended Lake Highland Preparatory School
, a private prep school in Orlando, where he is the only high school football
player in the history of the Highlanders to become a pro athlete. He was one of the state's top offensive linemen in 1999, and was named to Super Prep's, National Bluechips and Prep Star's high school All-America
teams, and a USA Today honorable mention All-American. He was a two-time all-conference selection in basketball
.
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
and coach Ron Zook
's Florida Gators football
teams from 2000
to 2003
. During his time as a Gator, he won a Southeastern Conference
(SEC) championship ring (2000) and blocked for record-setting Gators quarterbacks Rex Grossman
(2000–2002) and Chris Leak
(2003). As a senior, Starks was a team captain
and first-team All-SEC selection.
While he was a Florida undergraduate, Starks was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity
. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
in sociology
in 2007.
, round three, pick 12, by the Steelers. He became a starter for the first time in the 2005 season for the eventual Super Bowl
Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Playing right tackle, he blocks for fellow Steelers such as quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger
and running back
Rashard Mendenhall
.
Entering the 2007 season
, Starks lost his starting job to Willie Colon; however, he played in all 16 games. He also started 4 games at the end of the season at left tackle in place of the injured Marvel Smith
. On February 21, 2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers placed the transition tag on Starks. He signed his one-year, $6.85-million tender offer on April 19. He signed another one-year contract with the Steelers following their victory in Super Bowl XLIII
.
On June 23, 2009, the Steelers signed Starks to a new four-year, $26.3 million contract. The deal includes $10 million in guarantees.
He was released by the Steelers on July 28, 2011., but was later re-signed by the Steelers on October 5, 2011.
. Ross Browner, who was a first-round selection in the 1978 NFL Draft
by Cincinnati and started 36 of 43 games during his career. Browner was a two-time (1976, 1977) All-American defensive lineman at Notre Dame and won the Lombardi and Maxwell Awards. Presuming he was the biological son of Max Starks, III, he did not discover the identity of his actual biological father until he was in high school. In high school, Starks, whose family was involved in the funeral business, was known to drive a hearse to school.
The Browner family as a whole has had more players in the NFL than any other family. Ross' brothers Joey Browner
, Jimmy Browner, and Keith Browner
all played in the NFL. Starks's cousin, Keith Browner Jr., plays college football
linebacker
for the University of California
.
Starks appeared in Chunky Soup
commercials eating soup with Steelers back-up quarterback
Charlie Batch
, defensive tackle Casey Hampton
and others.
In 2006, he traveled with Seattle Seahawks
defensive end
Bryce Fisher
and Atlanta Falcons
defensive end
Patrick Kerney
on the USO Tour
, traveling to United States military bases, a tradition begun by such NFL greats as Frank Gifford
and Johnny Unitas
. In 2005 Starks visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt
at sea, along with members of the Cincinnati Bengals
coaching staff. In addition, he was heavily involved in the local community in college, including serving as a tutor in Gainesville, Florida while enrolled in school at the University of Florida, and working with Kids Against Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco.
In college Starks became involved with the charity Cents of Relief which works to prevent human trafficking and allow access to healthcare for vulnerable populations, particularly women of prostitution and their children. He currently serves on the charity's Board of Directors.
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...
offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
of 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...
(NFL). 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 University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. He was drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
, and is in his eighth season with the team.
Early years
Starks was born in Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. He attended Orlando Christian School for sixth to eighth graders, where he played basketball and volleyball for the OCS Knights. He was known as the "Gentle Giant". As an eighth grader he wore size 15 shoes — when he had a difficult time finding shoes that fit he borrowed shoes from NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
star Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, who played at the time for the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
For high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Starks attended Lake Highland Preparatory School
Lake Highland Preparatory School
Lake Highland Preparatory School is a private school in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1970. It is the largest private school in Orlando. Lake Highland Preparatory School is a Pre-K through 12, coeducational, private, day school situated on a campus on Lake Highland in the heart of Orlando...
, a private prep school in Orlando, where he is the only high school 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....
player in the history of the Highlanders to become a pro athlete. He was one of the state's top offensive linemen in 1999, and was named to Super Prep's, National Bluechips and Prep Star's high school All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
teams, and a USA Today honorable mention All-American. He was a two-time all-conference selection in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
College career
Starks received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
and coach Ron Zook
Ron Zook
Ron Zook is a former American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2005 to 2011. Zook is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of Miami University, where he...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
teams from 2000
2000 Florida Gators football team
September 30, 2000The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback...
to 2003
2003 Florida Gators football team
The 2003 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2003 college football season...
. During his time as a Gator, he won a Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championship ring (2000) and blocked for record-setting Gators quarterbacks Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
(2000–2002) and Chris Leak
Chris Leak
Christopher Patrick Leak is an American professional football player who is currently a quarterback for the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League. He played college football for the University of Florida, and led the Florida Gators to victory in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game...
(2003). As a senior, Starks was a team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
and first-team All-SEC selection.
While he was a Florida undergraduate, Starks was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
Fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
in 2007.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Starks is among the largest NFL players, standing at 6'8" and 370 pounds with a size 19 shoe. Four other relatives of Starks have been professional football players. He was drafted in 20042004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
, round three, pick 12, by the Steelers. He became a starter for the first time in the 2005 season for the eventual Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Playing right tackle, he blocks for fellow Steelers such as 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...
Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
and running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
.
Entering the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, Starks lost his starting job to Willie Colon; however, he played in all 16 games. He also started 4 games at the end of the season at left tackle in place of the injured Marvel Smith
Marvel Smith
Marvel Amos Smith is a former professional American football offensive tackle. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
. On February 21, 2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers placed the transition tag on Starks. He signed his one-year, $6.85-million tender offer on April 19. He signed another one-year contract with the Steelers following their victory in Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
.
On June 23, 2009, the Steelers signed Starks to a new four-year, $26.3 million contract. The deal includes $10 million in guarantees.
He was released by the Steelers on July 28, 2011., but was later re-signed by the Steelers on October 5, 2011.
Personal
Starks is the son of former professional defensive lineman Ross BrownerRoss Browner
Ross Browner is a former American football defensive end who played ten seasons in the NFL, mainly for the Cincinnati Bengals. He is the father of current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Max Starks, and brother of Joey Browner and Keith Browner...
. Ross Browner, who was a first-round selection in the 1978 NFL Draft
1978 NFL Draft
The 1978 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978...
by Cincinnati and started 36 of 43 games during his career. Browner was a two-time (1976, 1977) All-American defensive lineman at Notre Dame and won the Lombardi and Maxwell Awards. Presuming he was the biological son of Max Starks, III, he did not discover the identity of his actual biological father until he was in high school. In high school, Starks, whose family was involved in the funeral business, was known to drive a hearse to school.
The Browner family as a whole has had more players in the NFL than any other family. Ross' brothers Joey Browner
Joey Browner
Joey Matthew Browner is a former American football strong safety for the Minnesota Vikings from 1983 until 1991.-Professional career:...
, Jimmy Browner, and Keith Browner
Keith Browner
Keith Browner is a former American Football defensive end and outside linebacker. He is also the father of Keith Browner jr who is a standout LB for the Cal Golden Bears.-College career:...
all played in the NFL. Starks's cousin, Keith Browner Jr., plays 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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
.
Starks appeared in Chunky Soup
Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company , also known as Campbell's, is an American producer of canned soups and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey...
commercials eating soup with Steelers back-up 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...
Charlie Batch
Charlie Batch
Charles "Charlie" Batch is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, defensive tackle Casey Hampton
Casey Hampton
Casey "Big Snack" Hampton, Jr. is an American football nose tackle who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League.-Early years:...
and others.
In 2006, he traveled with 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...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Bryce Fisher
Bryce Fisher
Bryce Alexander Fisher is a former American football defensive lineman. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 7th round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Air Force.-High school years:...
and Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Patrick Kerney
Patrick Kerney
-Atlanta Falcons:Kerney was drafted as the thirtieth overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, wearing the number 97 jersey. The Falcons signed Kerney to a 5-year $5.6 million contract. As a rookie, Kerney started two games and recorded 25 tackles and 2.5 sacks...
on the USO Tour
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
, traveling to United States military bases, a tradition begun by such NFL greats as Frank Gifford
Frank Gifford
Francis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
and Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
. In 2005 Starks visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
USS Theodore Roosevelt is the fourth Nimitz-class supercarrier. Her radio call sign is Rough Rider, the name of President Theodore Roosevelt's volunteer cavalry unit during the Spanish-American War...
at sea, along with members of the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
coaching staff. In addition, he was heavily involved in the local community in college, including serving as a tutor in Gainesville, Florida while enrolled in school at the University of Florida, and working with Kids Against Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco.
In college Starks became involved with the charity Cents of Relief which works to prevent human trafficking and allow access to healthcare for vulnerable populations, particularly women of prostitution and their children. He currently serves on the charity's Board of Directors.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of Pittsburgh Steelers players
- List of University of Florida alumni