Career Transactions: Originally drafted by Cleveland in the second round (35th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.  

At a Glance:

Last name is pronounced buh-TONE-ee-oh.

Late father, Mike, was a mixed martial arts bareknuckle fighter in the early 1990’s.

Signed a five-year contract extension during the 2016 offseason. 

The only offensive rookie voted to PFWA All-AFC team in 2014.

Inducted to the Woodrow Wilson Classical High School athletic hall of fame in 2015.

Career Transactions: Originally drafted by Cleveland in the second round (35th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.

At a Glance:

Last name is pronounced buh-TONE-ee-oh.

Late father, Mike, was a mixed martial arts bareknuckle fighter in the early 1990’s.

Signed a five-year contract extension during the 2016 offseason.

The only offensive rookie voted to PFWA All-AFC team in 2014.

Inducted to the Woodrow Wilson Classical High School athletic hall of fame in 2015.

Seasonal Reviews:

2017: Started at LG and played every offensive snap in all 16 games after rehabbing from Lisfranc surgery that ended 2016 season...Helped the Browns finish sixth in the league with a 4.46 rush avg…Voted the PFWA Dino Lucarelli Good Guy award winner.

2016: Started at LG and played every offensive snap in first five games...Helped Browns finish second in NFL with 4.89 rush avg., highest by Cleveland since 1966...(10/9) vs. NE: Sustained a foot injury and played every offensive snap…Placed on injured reserve on Oct. 14.

2015: Started all 10 games played...Missed six games with an ankle injury…(11/5) at Cin.: Started at LG...Sustained ankle injury at end of first half but returned to play...Did not play final series, missing first offensive snaps of career...(12/6) vs. Cin.: Returned to action, but sustained an ankle injury on the first offensive series…Placed on injured reserve on Dec. 7.

2014: Voted to PFWA All-AFC team, the only offensive rookie selected to the team...Also named to PFWA All-Rookie team…Started all 16 games at LG, playing every offensive snap...Helped Browns record 17 rushing touchdowns, fourth-most in the NFL, and rush for more than 150 yards in five games…(9/7) at Pit.: In NFL debut, helped team rush for 183 yards (most since 2010) and two TDs...(11/23) at Atl.: After missed FG at end of first half, raced down field to stop Devin Hester to save a potential return touchdown, earning his first career special-teams tackle.

College:

Appeared in 51 games at Nevada with 38 starts…Opened 26 games at right tackle before starting all 12 at left tackle as a senior...Credited with allowing just two sacks on 821 pass attempts… Earned All-Mountain West Conference first-team honors at both right tackle and left tackle…As a senior, led the nation with 30 TD-resulting blocks, opening up lanes to the end zone on 18 of the team’s 23 rushing TDs…As a junior, blocked for an offense that averaged 514.9 yards per game, first in the MWC and eighth in the nation…Earned a starting spot at right tackle as a sophomore in an offense that led the MWC and ranked sixth in the nation in yards per game (506.7)…Majored in economics.

Personal:

Given name is Joel Michael Bitonio…Last name is pronounced buh-TONE-ee-oh…Married Courtney in July 2016…Born in San Pedro, Calif…Has a brother, Lucas, and a sister, Kate…Late father, Mike, was a mixed martial arts bareknuckle fighter in the early 1990’s…Worked on the maintenance staff for campus dormitories while a student at Nevada.

High School: Attended Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, Calif…Lettered in football, basketball and track…Named Moore League Lineman of the Year, in addition to all-league and all-state honors as a senior…Named to the Long Beach Telegram’s Dream Team for football and basketball during his senior year…Earned All-Moore League laurels in basketball after averaging 12.3 points a game and leading the league with 11.2 rebounds per game as a senior center…Member of the school’s Academic Honor Roll…Inducted into to the Woodrow Wilson Classical High School athletic hall of fame in 2015.

Community Involvement: Volunteered for numerous community opportunities in the Cleveland area, including stuffing USO care packages and deployment bags for service members, visiting elementary schools, participating in several ‘Shop with a Pro’ events and supporting the Greater Cleveland Food Bank…Named the American Legion Man of the Year in 2015.

Hobbies/Interests: Enjoys reading sports and war novels…Likes watching the Food Network and enjoys cooking…Hosted a segment on Browns television where he visited Cleveland-area restaurants, interacted with celebrity chefs and participated in cooking challenges.