John Denney
Encyclopedia
John S. Denney is an American football
long snapper
for the Miami Dolphins
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football
at Brigham Young University
.
He is the younger brother of Buffalo Bills
defensive end
Ryan Denney
.
. He learned to play the violin
at age 5 and was an Eagle Scout
. A member of the LDS Church, Denney served a church mission to Morristown, New Jersey
. As a child, he was a fan of the Denver Broncos
.
Denney was a three-year letterman at Horizon High School
in Thornton, Colorado
. As a senior, he earned first-team all-conference honors, second-team all-state honors and was his team's Special Teams Player of the Year. A three-time academic all-conference selection, Denney graduated from Horizon in 1997 with National Student-Athlete honors.
, Chadron State
and Mesa State
, Denney chose to attend Ricks College
. He earned All-Region 18 honors as a freshman and helped the school to a 44-14 win over Snow College
in the Real Dairy Bowl. In that game, Denney recorded two sacks and two pass deflections.
and was redshirted
in 2001.
A neck injury sidelined Denney early during his sophomore season in 2002, but he went on to start seven games at left defensive end for the team. He recorded 25 tackles (eight solo) on the season, including five-tackle performances against Colorado State
and Utah. Additionally, Denney earned Academic All-Mountain West
honors.
As a junior in 2003, Denney earned Academic All-Mountain West honors for the second straight season while starting 12 games at defensive end. He finished he season with 42 tackles (seventh on the team), six tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. He was named the team's Defensive Player of the Game twice, against USC and Wyoming.
Denney recorded 27 tackles (8.5 for losses) during his senior season in addition to 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Following the season, he was chosen to play in the Hula Bowl
.
During his three-year career at BYU, Denney started 29 of the 32 games in which he played and recorded 94 tackles. He also handled long-snapping
duties for the Cougars throughout his career. He majored in business management.
, Denney was signed by the Miami Dolphins
. He beat out incumbent Ed Perry
for the team's long-snapping duties, holding the job the entire 2005 season. He was the only undrafted free agent for the Dolphins to appear in every game that season. He recorded five tackles on special teams during the year, including a season-high two stops against the San Diego Chargers
on December 11.
In February 2006, Denney underwent surgery on an injured elbow. He played in every game for the Dolphins for the second straight season, recording five tackles. Denney recorded two tackles and recovered a Brad Kassell
fumble on a punt against the New York Jets
on December 25, leading to a game-tying Olindo Mare
field goal in the fourth quarter.
On March 22, 2007, the Dolphins re-signed Denney to a four-year contract through the 2010 season. That season, he appeared in all 16 games for the Dolphins for the third straight year and recorded three special teams tackles.
Through his first three NFL seasons, Dolphins placekicker
s made all 81 extra point
attempts and 80.9 percent of the field goals (72 of 89) for which Denney was the snapper.
defensive end
Ryan Denney
, who was drafted by the Bills in the second round out of BYU in 2002
. Their younger brother, Brett, was also a defensive end for the Cougars.
Denney and his wife Christy have three sons - Austin, Brock, and Westin. He lists his favorite movie as The Endless Summer II
, favorite TV show as Seinfeld
and favorite recording artist as Dave Matthews
.
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...
long snapper
Long snapper
In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
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 signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2005. 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 Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University Cougars football
The Brigham Young Cougars football team is a college football program representing Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The Cougars won the national championship in 1984 and have a Heisman Trophy winner in Ty Detmer. Since 1965, BYU has claimed 23 conference championships and played in 29 bowl...
.
He is the younger brother of Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American 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...
Ryan Denney
Ryan Denney
Ryan Craig Denney is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
.
Early years
Denney was born to Craig and Sheri Denney in Denver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. He learned to play the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
at age 5 and was an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
. A member of the LDS Church, Denney served a church mission to Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
. As a child, he was a fan of the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Denney was a three-year letterman at Horizon High School
Horizon High School (Thornton, Colorado)
Horizon High School is a public secondary institution located in Thornton, Colorado. The school was recognized by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program in 1994, 1995 and 1996...
in Thornton, Colorado
Thornton, Colorado
The city of Thornton is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado and a suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thornton is northeast of the state's capital, Denver. The United States Census Bureau that the city population...
. As a senior, he earned first-team all-conference honors, second-team all-state honors and was his team's Special Teams Player of the Year. A three-time academic all-conference selection, Denney graduated from Horizon in 1997 with National Student-Athlete honors.
Ricks College
Despite being recruited by Northern ColoradoUniversity of Northern Colorado
-Organization:The University of Northern Colorado offers 100 undergraduate programs and more than 100 graduate programs. The university has a satellite campus in Denver, Colorado...
, Chadron State
Chadron State College
Chadron State College is a four-year public college in the Nebraska State College System in Chadron, Nebraska. The college is located in the northern part of the Nebraska Panhandle, in the Pine Ridge area....
and Mesa State
Mesa State College
Colorado Mesa University is a public comprehensive university in Grand Junction, Colorado. The university has its primary campus in central Grand Junction. The university also has other campuses as well; Bishop Campus, which houses Western Colorado Community College in northwestern Grand Junction...
, Denney chose to attend Ricks College
Brigham Young University–Idaho
Brigham Young University–Idaho is a private university located in Rexburg, Idaho. Founded in 1888, the university is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and transitioned from a junior college to a four-year institution in 2001, known for the greater part of its...
. He earned All-Region 18 honors as a freshman and helped the school to a 44-14 win over Snow College
Snow College
Snow College is a rural, two-year state college located in Ephraim, Utah, U.S. It offers certificates and associate degrees in a number of areas...
in the Real Dairy Bowl. In that game, Denney recorded two sacks and two pass deflections.
Brigham Young University
After a season at Ricks College, Denney transferred to Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
and was redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
in 2001.
A neck injury sidelined Denney early during his sophomore season in 2002, but he went on to start seven games at left defensive end for the team. He recorded 25 tackles (eight solo) on the season, including five-tackle performances against Colorado State
Colorado State Rams
Colorado State University competes in 16 sponsored intercollegiate sports, including 10 for women and six for men...
and Utah. Additionally, Denney earned Academic All-Mountain West
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
honors.
As a junior in 2003, Denney earned Academic All-Mountain West honors for the second straight season while starting 12 games at defensive end. He finished he season with 42 tackles (seventh on the team), six tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. He was named the team's Defensive Player of the Game twice, against USC and Wyoming.
Denney recorded 27 tackles (8.5 for losses) during his senior season in addition to 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Following the season, he was chosen to play in the Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
.
During his three-year career at BYU, Denney started 29 of the 32 games in which he played and recorded 94 tackles. He also handled long-snapping
Long snapper
In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
duties for the Cougars throughout his career. He majored in business management.
Pre-draft
| Pre-draft measureables | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-5½ ** | 265 ** | 4.98 ** | × | × | 4.31 ** | 6.93 ** | 32½" ** | 9'02" ** | 20 ** | × | |||||||||
| **represents BYU Pro Day—"×" Denotes "No Data" or "Did Not Participate" | |||||||||||||||||||
Miami Dolphins
After going undrafted in the 2005 NFL Draft2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 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 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
, Denney was signed by 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...
. He beat out incumbent Ed Perry
Ed Perry
Edward Lewis Perry, Jr. is an American football player in the National Football League. He graduated from Highland Springs High School in Highland Springs, Virginia where he earned four varsity letters in football and three in basketball. He continue to play football at James Madison University in...
for the team's long-snapping duties, holding the job the entire 2005 season. He was the only undrafted free agent for the Dolphins to appear in every game that season. He recorded five tackles on special teams during the year, including a season-high two stops against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on December 11.
In February 2006, Denney underwent surgery on an injured elbow. He played in every game for the Dolphins for the second straight season, recording five tackles. Denney recorded two tackles and recovered a Brad Kassell
Brad Kassell
Robert Bradley Kassell is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
fumble on a punt against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on December 25, leading to a game-tying Olindo Mare
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare is an American football placekicker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
field goal in the fourth quarter.
On March 22, 2007, the Dolphins re-signed Denney to a four-year contract through the 2010 season. That season, he appeared in all 16 games for the Dolphins for the third straight year and recorded three special teams tackles.
Through his first three NFL seasons, Dolphins placekicker
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...
s made all 81 extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
attempts and 80.9 percent of the field goals (72 of 89) for which Denney was the snapper.
Personal
John is the younger brother of Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American 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...
Ryan Denney
Ryan Denney
Ryan Craig Denney is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, who was drafted by the Bills in the second round out of BYU in 2002
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
. Their younger brother, Brett, was also a defensive end for the Cougars.
Denney and his wife Christy have three sons - Austin, Brock, and Westin. He lists his favorite movie as The Endless Summer II
The Endless Summer II
The Endless Summer II is a 1994 film directed by Bruce Brown and is a sequel to his 1966 film The Endless Summer. In The Endless Summer II, surfers Pat O'Connell and Robert "Wingnut" Weaver retrace the steps of Mike Hynson and Robert August. It shows the growth and evolution of the surfing scene...
, favorite TV show as Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
and favorite recording artist as Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
.