Jake Grove
{{Short description|American football player (born 1980)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Jake Grove
| image = Jake Grove 2014.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Grove in 2014
| number = 64
| position = Center
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|1|22|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Johnson City, Tennessee, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lb = 300
| high_school = Jefferson Forest
(Forest, Virginia)
| college = Virginia Tech (2000–2003)
| draftyear = 2004
| draftround = 2
| draftpick = 45
| pastteams = * Oakland Raiders ({{NFL Year|2004|2008}})
- Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|2009}})
| highlights = * Rimington Trophy (2003)
- Unanimous All-American (2003)
- First-team All-Big East (2003)
- Virginia Tech Hokies Jersey No. 64 retired
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 66
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 56
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 2
| pfr = GrovJa20
}}
Charles Jacob Grove (born January 22, 1980) is an American former professional football center who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies, where he won the Rimington Trophy and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft, and also played for the Miami Dolphins.
Early life
Grove was born in Johnson City, Tennessee. He played high school football at Jefferson Forest High School in Forest, Virginia.
College career
While attending Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Grove played for coach Frank Beamer's Virginia Tech Hokies football team from 2000 to 2003. As a senior in 2003, he was a first-team All-Big East selection, received unanimous first-team All-American honors, and won the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's best college center. In recognition of his outstanding college career as a Hokie, Virginia Tech retired his jersey number in 2006,{{cite web |title=Jake Grove: Retired Jersey |url=http://www.hokiesports.com/football/jerseys/grove.html |access-date=2011-09-05 |archive-date=2018-07-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712095445/http://www2.hokiesports.com/football/jerseys/grove.html |url-status=dead }} and enshrined him in the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame.
Professional career
=Oakland Raiders=
Grove was drafted in the second round (45th overall) of the 2004 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders, through a pick that was acquired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for Jon Gruden, where he played from 2004 to 2008.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2004/draft.htm |title=2004 NFL Draft Listing |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en |access-date=2023-05-06}} 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,{{cite web |title=C Samson Satele to Oakland Raiders for pick No. 158 and an 18-pick improvement in 4th round |url=http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thedailydolphin/2009/03/23/fins-ship-samson-satele-to-oakland-raiders/ |author=Edgar Thompson |date=2009-03-23 |access-date=2011-09-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110908052026/http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thedailydolphin/2009/03/23/fins-ship-samson-satele-to-oakland-raiders/ |archive-date=2011-09-08 }} and he only played in more than 10 games twice during his six seasons in Oakland.{{cite web|title=Jake Grove - NFL.com |url=http://www.nfl.com/player/jakegrove/2506031/profile |access-date=2011-09-05}}
=Miami Dolphins=
On March 2, 2009, Grove signed a five-year, $29 million ($14.5 million guaranteed) free agent contract with the Miami Dolphins. 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{{cite web|title=Miami Dolphins cut center Jake Grove in favor of healthier, lower-paid Joe Berger |url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/dolphins/miami-dolphins-cut-center-jake-grove-in-favor-906924.html |author=Ben Volin |date=2010-09-09 |access-date=2011-09-05}} 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.{{cite web|title=Oakland Raiders: Team Works Out Jake Grove and It's About Time |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/508997-oakland-raiders-team-works-out-jake-grove-its-about-time |author=Ramone Brown |date=2010-11-03 |access-date=2011-09-05}}
Notes
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090227002359/http://raiders.com/Team/PlayerBio.aspx?id=552 Oakland Raiders bio]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20091003220141/http://www.miamidolphins.com/content/jake-grove Miami Dolphins bio]
- {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040405004312/http://www.hokiesports.com/football/players/2003/grove.html |date=April 5, 2004 |title=Virginia Tech Hokies bio }}
{{Dave Rimington Trophy}}
{{2003 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Raiders2004DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grove, Jake}}
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football centers
Category:American football offensive guards
Category:Miami Dolphins players
Category:Oakland Raiders players
Category:Sportspeople from Johnson City, Tennessee