Josh Taves

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Josh Taves

| number = 92, 94, 99, 91

| position = Defensive end

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1972|5|13}}

| birth_place = Watsonville, California, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 7

| weight_lb = 280

| high_school = Dennis-Yarmouth {{avoid wrap|(Yarmouth, Massachusetts)}}

| college = Northeastern

| undraftedyear = 1995

| pastteams ={{cite book |title=Panthers 2003 media Guide |page=220-222 |url=https://archive.org/details/panthers-2003-media-guide-carolina-c/page/220/mode/2up?view=theater |access-date=4 November 2024}}

Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|1995}})
Barcelona Dragons ({{NFLE Year|1996}})
Jacksonville Jaguars (1996)*
New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|1996|1997}})
Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|1998}})*
Barcelona Dragons ({{NFLE Year|1998}})
New Orleans Saints (1998)*
Buffalo Destroyers ({{AFL Year|2000}})*
Orlando Predators ({{AFL Year|2000}})*
Oakland Raiders ({{NFL Year|2000|2001}})
Carolina Panthers ({{NFL Year|2002}})

| statlabel1 = Tackles

| statvalue1 = 41

| statlabel2 = Sacks

| statvalue2 = 4.0

| statlabel3 = Interceptions

| statvalue3 = 1

| pfr = TaveJo21

}}

Josh Heinrich Taves (born May 13, 1972, in Watsonville, California) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL).{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xcfef_d2es4C&pg=PA159 |title=The Big Book of Jewish Sports Heroes: An Illustrated Compendium of Sports History and The 150 Greatest Jewish Sports Stars |year=2007 |isbn=9781561719075 |access-date=January 12, 2011|last1=Horvitz |first1=Peter S. |publisher=SP Books }} He played college football for the Northeastern Huskies.

Biography

Taves is Jewish.{{cite book|title=Jewish Sports Stars: Athletic Heroes Past and Present|author=Goldman, D.J.|date=2006|publisher=Kar-Ben Pub.|isbn=9781580131834|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NACkGVm3C3wC&pg=PA51|page=51|access-date=September 10, 2015}} He grew up in Truro, MA, played football for Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, and for Northeastern University, where he twice made the Jewish All-American team.{{cite web|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/66758767.html?dids=66758767:66758767&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+13%2C+2001&author=Nick+Cafardo%2C+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe&desc=THERE%27S+NO+PLACE+TO+HIDE+TAVES+HAS+TOO+MUCH+OF+EVERYTHING+TO+BE+LOST+IN+NFL+SHUFFLE&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714030503/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/66758767.html?dids=66758767:66758767&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+13,+2001&author=Nick+Cafardo,+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe&desc=THERE'S+NO+PLACE+TO+HIDE+TAVES+HAS+TOO+MUCH+OF+EVERYTHING+TO+BE+LOST+IN+NFL+SHUFFLE&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 14, 2012 |title=There'a No Place To Hide Taves Has Too Much Of Everything To Be Lost in Nfl Shuffle |publisher=Boston Globe |date=January 13, 2001 |access-date=January 12, 2011}}[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4DA77FAD173F7&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "NFL EUROPE'S TOP DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO SIGN WITH DOLPHINS"], Miami Herald, June 20, 1998

He was named NFL Europe's 1998 Most Valuable Defensive Player, after he was co-leader in sacks in the league with 9 in 10 games for the Barcelona Dragons.

Taves signed with the Buffalo Destroyers of the Arena Football League for the 2000 season. On March 21, 2000, he was traded to the Orlando Predators for Mile Black.{{cite web | url=https://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=transactions&type=old&team=42 | title=Historical Team Transactions | publisher=ArenaFan.com | accessdate=6 May 2025}}

In the NFL, he played defensive end for 29 games over three seasons for the Oakland Raiders and the Carolina Panthers.