Joe Looney (offensive lineman)

Joe Looney (born August 31, 1990) is an American football center for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Wake Forest and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Looney was raised in Lake Worth, Florida. At the age of six, he already weighed 120 pounds, so he had to play football with boys who were as much as twice his age. He attended Lake Worth Community High School, and graduated in 2008, and was selected to the Florida all-state team as a senior.

He played college football at Wake Forest. He started in 41 games over four years at guard and was chosen for the all-ACC second team. He received a late invitation to play in the Senior Bowl, but he suffered a foot injury during practice and was unable to participate in the NFL Combine or Wake Forest's pro day.

San Francisco 49ers

Looney was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round (117th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft, after trading a sixth round pick to the Detroit Lions in order to move up 8 slots. He was released on September 4, 2015.

Tennessee Titans

Looney was signed by the Tennessee Titans on October 20, 2015. He started six games at guard during the season.

Dallas Cowboys

On March 29, 2016, the Dallas Cowboys signed Looney as a free agent to a 2-year contract, to replace the recently departed Mackenzy Bernadeau, as a versatile backup that could play any of the interior positions along the offensive line. He replaced an injured Ronald Leary at left guard in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns. After Geoff Swaim was injured against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he began to be used as a blocking tight end in short yardage situations. He helped rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott become the rushing NFL leader and was one the offensive linemen that Elliott gave an ATV as a gift at the end of the season.

Looney's younger brother, James, was also a star lineman at Lake Worth, and also decided to attend Wake Forest before transferring to California in 2014. Their father played college football at Louisville.