Joe Staley: 'I'm Just Going To Enjoy Time With My Family'

Game days, the crowds, the excitement? Yes, that was all fun and yes Joe Staley is grateful for all of it, from his days at Rockford High School, then at Central Michigan, and finally, for 13 NFL seasons.

Then there are the special moments, those that make a man sit back and reflect, smile, and then really come to appreciate as time passes.

"The thing that I'll miss is just the relationships that you have with the guys, being in the locker room, going through workouts, and just the day-to-day stuff, the behind-the-scenes stuff, that no one really knows or sees," Staley said.

Staley, who played at CMU from 2003-06, announced his retirement two weeks ago, calling it a career after appearing 250 NFL games, including those in the preseason, playoffs and the Pro Bowl.

He became one of the most consistent and durable offensive linemen in the game, spending his entire professional career with the San Francisco 49ers. He earned six Pro Bowl berths and three times was named All-Pro. He was named to the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team in 2007 and to NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team.

"The relationships, people I was able to meet through the game of football over my career – high school, college, NFL, that's what I'll remember and take away from the game the most," he said. "Hopefully I'm remembered as somebody who gave everything I had every single day, fulfilled my potential, gave a lot of effort. One of those guys that people respect."

The foundation for that was laid at Rockford High School and at CMU, where Staley moved from tight end to tackle after his freshman season in 2003. He utilized a rare blend of athleticism, speed and size to become a standout.

He said he was resistant – at first – to the move and even considered transferring schools.

"I was a 19-year-old kid," he said, "Once I wrapped my mind around it, I was like, 'Alright, this is what I'm doing,' and (then) was all about doing what I could do to help the team. I'm going to do it the best I can and try to learn everything I can about it. I had great coaches and people at my disposal to kind of lead me and guide me."

Lining up opposite defensive end Dan Bazuin, one of CMU's all-time greats, in practice on a daily basis unquestionably helped accelerate Staley's improvement as an offensive lineman.

"I didn't know what the heck I was doing so I was getting my butt whipped in practice," Staley said. "I think it taught me toughness and (about) not giving up and just improving on what I could do every single day."

Staley's improvement mirrored that of the program. As a senior in 2006, Staley helped lead the Chippewas to their first Mid-American Conference championship in 12 years. They capped it with a win in the Motor City Bowl.

The Chippewas increased their win total each season of Staley's collegiate career, culminating in the '06 title. That began a sensational four-year run from 2006-09, during which the Chippewas won three MAC championships.

Staley was at the core of a standout group that reversed CMU's football fortunes. That group included the likes of Bazuin, center Drew Mormino, linebacker Red Keith, and Dan LeFevour, who as a freshman became the starting quarterback in '06.

"It's a gradual process, but we knew we were on the right track," Staley said of his time at CMU, and choosing to stay rather than transfer "ended up being the best decision I ever made. Never know how things will work out.

"The people that I was able to work with and be coached by and the relationships that I developed really kind of set me on a path for my football career."

Staley was taken by the 49ers in the first round with the 28^th pick – at that point the highest draft choice in CMU history -- in the 2007 NFL Draft. Bazuin was drafted in the second round and Mormino went in the sixth in the same draft. It marked the only time in program history that CMU had as many as three players taken in one NFL draft.

"When I left Central I kind of felt like I was drafted in the first round based on potential," Staley said. "I wanted to display that I was an actual offensive lineman and could do everything well. I kind of had that chip on my shoulder being from a smaller school."

Clearly, he was successful in making the transition from the MAC to the NFL, just as he was in making the move from tight end to tackle as a collegian.

The special CMU bond carried over to professional football for Staley and fellow NFLers who had also played their college ball in Mount Pleasant.

"I enjoyed talking to all those guys who played at Central and keeping that bond up," Staley said. "The work that we had to put in, we had to push, and we always kind of had a little chip on our shoulder because we were looked at as (being from) a smaller school, program wise. There's that mutual respect of coming from the same college background and making it."

Staley lives with his wife Carrie and their two daughters, Grace and Audrey, in Encinitas, Calif., just north of San Diego. At 35 and with his playing days behind him, Staley said he will sit back and consider his options for the next chapter of his life.

"I'm going to give myself a year and kind of get used to being out of the game of football and figure out what I want to do," he said. "No hurry on that front. I'm just going to enjoy time with the family."

Central Michigan University Athletics

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