Justin Peelle
Encyclopedia
Justin Morris Peelle is an American football
tight end
for the San Francisco 49ers
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers
in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Oregon
and high school football at Dublin High School
.
Peelle has also played for the Miami Dolphins
and Atlanta Falcons
.
Joey Harrington
. As a junior, he was an honorable mention all-conference pick as a junior when he registered 24 receptions for 388 yards and five scores. He was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection as a senior when he caught 34 passes for 491 yards and nine touchdowns. The same year, he was also a semifinalist for the Mackey Award, given to the nation's top tight end.
In his collegiate career, he totaled 63 receptions for 944 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was also an All-Pac-10 Academic choice all four years.
and their late general manager John Butler in the 2002 NFL Draft
. He played in 15 games his rookie season, including two starts. On the year, he caught three passes for 15 yards. Peelle was also fifth on the squad with seven tackles on special teams. His first NFL reception came on a two-yard pass from quarterback Drew Brees
against the San Francisco 49ers
on November 17.
Peelle opened nine of the 15 games in which he appeared in 2003. He tallied a career-high 16 receptions for 133 yards on the season, and had one touchdown catch on the year. Peelle also contributed two tackles on special teams. He posted a career-high four catches, totaling 24 yards, against the Baltimore Ravens
on September 21. His lone scoring catch of the year came on a seven-yard grab from Drew Brees in the back of the end zone the following week at the Oakland Raiders
, marking his first NFL touchdown
reception. He was inactive for game at the Detroit Lions
on December 7 with a concussion sustained the previous week against the Kansas City Chiefs
.
Peelle started four of 16 contests in which he appeared in 2004. He totaled 10 receptions for 84 yards and a pair of scores on the season and recorded four stops on special teams. His first reception of season came on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees in 38-17 win over the Tennessee Titans
on October 3. Peelle tallied his longest scoring reception of his NFL career in a 42-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders on October 31 with a 17-yard grab from Brees. Peelle had three receptions for a career-best 34 yards in first-round playoff game against the New York Jets
on January 8, 2005.
Peelle played in all 16 games in 2005, including four starts in what would be his final season with the Chargers. He caught 11 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown on the year while collecting two special teams tackles. He had his most productive day of season at the Oakland Raiders on October 16 when he caught three passes for 20 yards, including a four-yard touchdown reception from running back
LaDainian Tomlinson
in the Chargers’ 27-14 victory.
Peelle appeared in 15 games for the Dolphins in 2006, including a career-high ten starts. This was due to the team's increased use of two-tight end sets, which created more time for Peelle and less for fullback
Darian Barnes
. He finished with 16 catches for 116 yards and one touchdown on the season, marking the fourth consecutive season he had at least one touchdown catch. He was inactive once (on October 15 at the New York Jets) with a knee injury, allowing tight end Jason Rader
to make the first start of his career. On November 19 against the Minnesota Vikings
, Peelle had three catches for 21 yards and one touchdown, coming on an 11-yard pass from former Oregon teammate Joey Harrington. It was his first touchdown catch as a member of the Dolphins.
On August 30, 2008, Peelle was released by the Dolphins during final cuts.
on September 1, 2008. The team released tight end
Jason Rader
to make room for Peelle on the roster. Peelle was named the starting Tight End after Ben Hartsock was placed on injured reserve. Peelle has made a great impact on the Falcons as a great receiving tight end. He helped the Falcons clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2004. The Falcons re-signed him on February 26, 2009.
On August 18, 2011, he was released with an injury settlement.
signed Peelle on September 13, 2011. During the 2011 season, he typically played in multiple-tight-end sets backing up Vernon Davis
. On November 20, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals
after injuries to other players, Peelle also played fullback
.
with a degree in political science
.
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...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
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 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...
in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft
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...
. 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 Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
and high school football at Dublin High School
Dublin High School (Dublin, California)
Dublin High School is a four-year public high school located in the East Bay neighborhood of Dublin, California, USA. Dublin High School is one of the schools in the Dublin Unified School District.-History:...
.
Peelle has also played 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...
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...
.
College career
Peelle started 28 of the 42 games in which he played during his four seasons at the University of Oregon (1998–2001). During that time he played alongside the former Atlanta Falcons, quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, where he played for most of his professional career. He ranks third all-time in Detroit history in pass completions, with 986...
. As a junior, he was an honorable mention all-conference pick as a junior when he registered 24 receptions for 388 yards and five scores. He was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection as a senior when he caught 34 passes for 491 yards and nine touchdowns. The same year, he was also a semifinalist for the Mackey Award, given to the nation's top tight end.
In his collegiate career, he totaled 63 receptions for 944 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was also an All-Pac-10 Academic choice all four years.
San Diego Chargers
Peelle began his professional career in 2002, when he was a fourth-round selection (103rd overall) by the San Diego ChargersSan 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...
and their late general manager John Butler in the 2002 NFL Draft
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...
. He played in 15 games his rookie season, including two starts. On the year, he caught three passes for 15 yards. Peelle was also fifth on the squad with seven tackles on special teams. His first NFL reception came on a two-yard pass from quarterback Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
against the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
on November 17.
Peelle opened nine of the 15 games in which he appeared in 2003. He tallied a career-high 16 receptions for 133 yards on the season, and had one touchdown catch on the year. Peelle also contributed two tackles on special teams. He posted a career-high four catches, totaling 24 yards, against the 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...
on September 21. His lone scoring catch of the year came on a seven-yard grab from Drew Brees in the back of the end zone the following week at 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...
, marking his first NFL touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
reception. He was inactive for game at the 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...
on December 7 with a concussion sustained the previous week against the 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...
.
Peelle started four of 16 contests in which he appeared in 2004. He totaled 10 receptions for 84 yards and a pair of scores on the season and recorded four stops on special teams. His first reception of season came on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees in 38-17 win over the 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...
on October 3. Peelle tallied his longest scoring reception of his NFL career in a 42-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders on October 31 with a 17-yard grab from Brees. Peelle had three receptions for a career-best 34 yards in first-round playoff game 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 January 8, 2005.
Peelle played in all 16 games in 2005, including four starts in what would be his final season with the Chargers. He caught 11 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown on the year while collecting two special teams tackles. He had his most productive day of season at the Oakland Raiders on October 16 when he caught three passes for 20 yards, including a four-yard touchdown reception from 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...
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
in the Chargers’ 27-14 victory.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins signed Peelle as an unrestricted free agent on March 20, 2006. Peelle signed a three-year deal with the team which included base salaries of $600,000 (2006), $1.2 million (2007), and $1.3 million (2008).Peelle appeared in 15 games for the Dolphins in 2006, including a career-high ten starts. This was due to the team's increased use of two-tight end sets, which created more time for Peelle and less for 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...
Darian Barnes
Darian Barnes
Darian Durrell Barnes is an American football fullback who is currently a member of the Florida Tuskers. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
. He finished with 16 catches for 116 yards and one touchdown on the season, marking the fourth consecutive season he had at least one touchdown catch. He was inactive once (on October 15 at the New York Jets) with a knee injury, allowing tight end Jason Rader
Jason Rader
Jason Rader is an American football tight end who is currently a member of the Atlanta Falcons. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Marshall....
to make the first start of his career. On November 19 against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Peelle had three catches for 21 yards and one touchdown, coming on an 11-yard pass from former Oregon teammate Joey Harrington. It was his first touchdown catch as a member of the Dolphins.
On August 30, 2008, Peelle was released by the Dolphins during final cuts.
Atlanta Falcons
Peelle was signed by the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta 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...
on September 1, 2008. The team released tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Jason Rader
Jason Rader
Jason Rader is an American football tight end who is currently a member of the Atlanta Falcons. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Marshall....
to make room for Peelle on the roster. Peelle was named the starting Tight End after Ben Hartsock was placed on injured reserve. Peelle has made a great impact on the Falcons as a great receiving tight end. He helped the Falcons clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2004. The Falcons re-signed him on February 26, 2009.
On August 18, 2011, he was released with an injury settlement.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
signed Peelle on September 13, 2011. During the 2011 season, he typically played in multiple-tight-end sets backing up Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis
-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...
. On November 20, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
after injuries to other players, Peelle also played 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...
.
Personal
Justin has a wife named Sara and a son, Morris David. He graduated from the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
with a degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
.