Editing Joe Andruzzi

{{Short description|American football player (born 1975)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = Joe Andruzzi
| image         = Governor-healey-gets-hair-trimmed-for-charity-at-11th-annual-saving-by-shaving 53557212862 o (Joe Andruzzi).jpg
| caption       = Andruzzi in 2024
| number        = 70, 63
| position      = [[Guard (gridiron football)|Guard]]
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1975|8|23}}
| birth_place   = [[Brooklyn|Brooklyn, New York]], U.S.
| height_ft     = 6
| height_in     = 3
| weight_lb     = 315
| high_school   = [[Tottenville High School|Tottenville]] {{nowrap|([[Staten Island|Staten Island, New York]])}}
| college       = [[Southern Connecticut Fighting Owls|Southern Connecticut State]]
| undraftedyear = 1997
| pastteams     =
* [[Green Bay Packers]] ({{NFL Year|1997|1999}})
* →[[Scottish Claymores]] ({{NFLE Year|1998}})
* [[New England Patriots]] ({{NFL Year|2000|2004}})
* [[Cleveland Browns]] ({{NFL Year|2005|2006}})
| highlights    =
* 3× [[Super Bowl champion]] ([[Super Bowl XXXVI|XXXVI]], [[Super Bowl XXXVIII|XXXVIII]], [[Super Bowl XXXIX|XXXIX]])
* [[New England Patriots All-2000s Team]]
* [[New England Patriots All-Dynasty Team]]
* 2× [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] (1995, 1996)
| statlabel1    = Games played
| statvalue1    = 122
| statlabel2    = Games started
| statvalue2    = 103
| statlabel3    = [[Fumble]] recoveries
| statvalue3    = 4
| pfr           = AndrJo21
}}

'''Joseph Dominick Andruzzi''' (born August 23, 1975) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[guard (gridiron football)|guard]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL).

==Early life and education==
Andruzzi was born in [[Brooklyn]] and played high school football at [[Tottenville High School]] in the [[Huguenot, Staten Island|Huguenot]] neighborhood of [[Staten Island]], where his classmates included former [[Major League Baseball]] All-Star starting pitcher [[Jason Marquis]] and former [[National Football League]] player [[Adewale Ogunleye]] with the [[Miami Dolphins]] and [[Chicago Bears]]

Andruzzi played college football at [[Southern Connecticut State University]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut]], where he majored in special education. He played every position on the offensive line and started all four years.  Andruzzi was a [[NCAA Division II|Division II]] [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] his junior and senior years as well as an offensive team [[captain (sports)|captain]] during his senior season.

==Professional career==
In 1997, Andruzzi was picked up as an undrafted rookie [[free agent]] by the [[Green Bay Packers]]. He was allocated by the Packers in February 1998 to play football in [[Scotland]] in the [[NFL Europe]] league. Andruzzi was released from the Packers after three seasons. He was then signed by the [[New England Patriots]] in 2000, where he played five seasons and earned three [[Super Bowl]] rings.

After becoming a free agent in 2005, he rejoined former Patriots defensive coordinator and new head coach [[Romeo Crennel]] in Cleveland, signing a 4-year deal worth $9 million.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.patriots.com/news/andruzzi-signs-with-cleveland-130366 | title=Andruzzi signs with Cleveland|publisher=New England Patriots|date=March 3, 2005|accessdate=May 5, 2025 }}</ref> He was released two years later while the team brought in [[Eric Steinbach]] on a $49 million deal from the [[Cincinnati Bengals|Bengals]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.patriots.com/news/browns-cut-ties-with-guard-andruzzi-100186 | title=Browns cut ties with guard Andruzzi|publisher=New England Patriots|date=May 4, 2007|accessdate=May 5, 2025 }}</ref>

In recognition of his contributions, Andruzzi received the [[Ed Block Courage Award]] in 2002 and the first Ron Burton Community Service Award in 2003.

==Philanthropy==
In 2001, Andruzzi and his wife, Jen, were introduced to C.J. Buckley, who had an inoperable [[brain tumor]]. The families became very close and, therefore, it was devastating when C.J. died late in 2002. The couple launched the C.J. Buckley Brain Cancer Research Fund at [[Boston Children's Hospital]] in [[Boston]].

On May 30, 2007, Andruzzi was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's [[Burkitt lymphoma]], predicted to double in size in just 24 hours.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/the_bonus/01/28/andruzzi/index.html?eref=si_mostpopular | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802211332/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/the_bonus/01/28/andruzzi/index.html?eref=si_mostpopular | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 2, 2009 | work=CNN | title=SI.com - Fight of his life - Jan 29, 2008 | date=January 29, 2008 | access-date=May 6, 2010}}</ref> The family relocated back to New England where Andruzzi had an aggressive form of chemotherapy treatment over three months at [[Dana–Farber Cancer Institute]] and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Andruzzi's last treatment was on August 6, 2007, and he then spent the following year at home in recovery.

After completing treatment, the Andruzzi family founded the Joe Andruzzi Foundation in 2008. They are committed to tackling cancer's impact by providing financial assistance for patients and their families as well as funding pediatric brain cancer research.  Andruzzi received the 2015 [[Walter Camp Man of the Year|Man of the Year]] award from the [[Walter Camp Football Foundation]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Conner |first=Desmond |url=http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-walter-camp-notebook-0116-20160115-story.html |title=Former Patriots Lineman Joe Andruzzi Named Walter Camp Man Of Year |work=[[Hartford Courant]] |date=January 15, 2016 |access-date=March 22, 2017 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Andruzzi has three brothers, each of whom are members of the [[New York City Fire Department]] who responded to the [[September 11 attacks]] on the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]]. During pregame introductions at the next game on September 23, Andruzzi ran out with an American flag in each hand. His brothers were honored at midfield prior to kickoff.

On April 15, 2013, Andruzzi's foundation was hosting an event at a restaurant on Boylston Street in Boston when the [[Boston Marathon bombing]] occurred; the second bomb detonated directly outside the restaurant.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ex-Patriots guard Joe Andruzzi: 'I am definitely not a hero' for Boston Marathon actions|url=https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2013/04/17/ex-patriots-guard-joe-andruzzi-i-am-definitely-not-a-hero-for-boston-marathon-actions/|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.boston.com|language=en-US}}</ref> In the aftermath, he was photographed carrying an injured woman.<ref>{{cite news|last=Florio|first=Mike|title=Joe Andruzzi handles Boston Marathon attack the way Joe Andruzzi would|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/15/joe-andruzzi-handles-boston-marathon-attack-the-way-joe-andruzzi-would/|access-date=April 15, 2013|newspaper=NBC Sports|date=April 15, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2013/04/16/scenes-from-boston-marathon-bombing/EY9gbwqWctTW1UbqM2A93H/story.html?pic=17|title=Former Patriots offensive lineman Joe Andruzzi carried an injured woman away from the scene.|newspaper=Boston Globe|last=Greene|first=Bill|date=April 16, 2013|access-date=April 16, 2013}}</ref> Andruzzi's friend, former Patriots linebacker [[Matt Chatham]], was also present, and uninjured.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/9179824/boston-marathon-turned-mayhem|title = Joe Andruzzi: Marathon became 'mayhem'|date = April 16, 2013|first=Elizabeth|last=Merrill|publisher=[[ESPN]]|accessdate=May 5, 2025}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://joeandruzzifoundation.org Joe Andruzzi Foundation]

{{Super Bowl XXXVI}}
{{Super Bowl XXXVIII}}
{{Super Bowl XXXIX}}
{{Patriots2000s}}
{{PatriotsAllDynasty}}
{{Walter Camp Man of the Year}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Andruzzi, Joe}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American football offensive linemen]]
[[Category:Southern Connecticut Owls football players]]
[[Category:Green Bay Packers players]]
[[Category:New England Patriots players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Browns players]]
[[Category:Scottish Claymores players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Staten Island]]
[[Category:Tottenville High School alumni]]
[[Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Scotland]]
[[Category:American expatriate players of American football]]