Jake Grove
Encyclopedia
Charles Jacob Grove is a retired American football
center
, most recently for the Miami Dolphins
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders
in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Virginia Tech
.
at Jefferson Forest High School in Forest, Virginia
.
at Virginia Tech
, where, as a college senior, he was a unanimous All-America
n selection and received the Dave Rimington Trophy
, which is given to the nation's best center. His college jersey was retired in 2006
Grove was drafted
in the second round (45th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft
by the Oakland Raiders
, where he played from 2004 to 2008. After being the reserve center behind Adam Treu
as a rookie, Grove split time with him as the starting center during the 2005 NFL season
, in which the Raiders had a 4-12 won-lost record, then won the job the following year, the 7th starting center in Raider history, starting all 16 games, when Treu became his replacement for a 2-14 team. But in the 2007 NFL season
, Jeremy Newberry
became the starting center, as Grove started only two games for the 4-12 team. He got his job back in the 2008 NFL season
, starting in 12 games, though the team's fortune stayed poor with a 5-11 record. His Oakland tenure was hampered by injuries, and he only played in more than 10 games twice during his six seasons in Oakland.
. The previous starting center for the Dolphins, Samson Satele
, was traded to Grove's old team, the Raiders. Grove suffered through another injury plagued year, playing in 12 games, starting 10 of them. In the 2010 preseason, he suffered from nagging knee and shoulder injuries, and was cut by the Dolphins less than a year after signing his lucrative free agent contract in favor of Joe Berger
. He reportedly worked out for the Raiders, Baltimore Ravens
, Detroit Lions
, and New England Patriots
, but did not sign with another team, and is still a free agent.
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...
center
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...
, most recently for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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...
. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second 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...
. 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...
at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
.
Early years
Grove played high school footballHigh 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....
at Jefferson Forest High School in Forest, Virginia
Forest, Virginia
Forest is a census-designated place in Bedford County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,006 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Forest is located at ....
.
College career
Grove then played college footballCollege 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...
at Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
, where, as a college senior, he was a unanimous 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...
n selection and received the Dave Rimington Trophy
Dave Rimington Trophy
The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979-1982....
, which is given to the nation's best center. His college jersey was retired in 2006
Oakland Raiders
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...
in the second round (45th overall) 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...
by the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he played from 2004 to 2008. After being the reserve center behind Adam Treu
Adam Treu
Adam Treu was a center in the NFL. He walked on to University of Nebraska-Lincoln after playing at Pius X High School in Lincoln. He won back-to-back National Championships with the Cornhuskers in 1994 and 1995 playing left tackle and performing all the long snapping duties...
as a rookie, Grove split time with him as the starting center during the 2005 NFL season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, in which the Raiders had a 4-12 won-lost record, then won the job the following year, the 7th starting center in Raider history, starting all 16 games, when Treu became his replacement for a 2-14 team. But in the 2007 NFL 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....
, Jeremy Newberry
Jeremy Newberry
Jeremy David Newberry is a former Center in the National Football League . He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
became the starting center, as Grove started only two games for the 4-12 team. He got his job back in the 2008 NFL season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
, starting in 12 games, though the team's fortune stayed poor with a 5-11 record. His Oakland tenure was hampered by injuries, and he only played in more than 10 games twice during his six seasons in Oakland.
Miami Dolphins
On March 2, 2009, Grove signed a five-year, $29 million ($14.5 million guaranteed) free agent contract with the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The previous starting center for the Dolphins, Samson Satele
Samson Satele
Samson H. Satele is an American football center for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
, was traded to Grove's old team, the Raiders. Grove suffered through another injury plagued year, playing in 12 games, starting 10 of them. In the 2010 preseason, he suffered from nagging knee and shoulder injuries, and was cut by the Dolphins less than a year after signing his lucrative free agent contract in favor of Joe Berger
Joe Berger
Joseph David Berger is an American football center for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan Tech....
. He reportedly worked out for the Raiders, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, and New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, but did not sign with another team, and is still a free agent.