Career Transactions: Originally drafted by Cleveland in the second round (35th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.
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.
Pro Bowl Selections (1): 2018
Named Browns 2018 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award winner…Named to first career Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2018…Voted to 2014 PFWA All-AFC team, the only offensive rookie selected to the team…Two-time winner of the PFWA Dino Lucarelli Good Guy award.
2018: Named to first career Pro Bowl…Second-team All-Pro selection...Voted captain by teammates...Started at LG in all 16 games, playing every offensive snap...Stalwart of Browns unit that did not allow a sack in five of team’s final seven games (three total, fewest allowed in NFL during Weeks 10-17)...Protected for QB Baker Mayfield, who set an NFL rookie record with 27 touchdown passes, and opened holes for RB Nick Chubb, who set a Browns rookie record with 996 rushing yards…Voted the PFWA Dino Lucarelli Good Guy award winner for the second consecutive season.
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.
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.
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 and supporting the Greater Cleveland Food Bank…Hosted a ‘Shop with a Pro’ event in 2018, where he provided a $200 gift card and new shoes during the holiday season for 30 children from City of Cleveland Recreation Centers …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.
