Joel Bitonio

Career Transactions

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

Awards/Honors

• Three-time (2018-20) Pro Bowl selection, becoming the first Browns guard to be named to three consecutive Pro Bowl since Pro Football Hall of Famer Gene Hickerson made six straight from 1966-71.
• Earned second-team All-Pro honors the past three seasons (2018-20).
• Selected to 2020 PFWA All-NFL team. Voted to the 2014 PFWA All-AFC team, the only offensive rookie on the team. Also named to PFWA All-Rookie team in 2014.
• Sporting News 2020 All-Pro Team honoree.
• Named Browns 2018 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award winner.
• Two-time (2017-18) winner of the PFWA Dino Lucarelli Good Guy award, the only player to win the award in consecutive seasons.

Career Transactions

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

Awards/Honors

· Four-time (2018-21) Pro Bowl selection, becoming the first Browns guard to be named to four consecutive Pro Bowls since Pro Football Hall of Famer Gene Hickerson made six straight from 1966-71.

· Named to the All-Pro team each of the past four seasons, including first team honors in 2021.

· Selected to 2020 and 2021 PFWA All-NFL teams. Voted to the 2014 PFWA All-AFC team, the only offensive rookie on the team. Also named to PFWA All-Rookie team in 2014.

· Sporting News All-Pro Team honoree in 2020 and 2021.

· Named Browns 2018 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award winner.

· Three-time (2017-18, 2021) winner of the PFWA Dino Lucarelli Good Guy award, the only player to win the award three times.

Key Notes

· Longest tenured member of the Browns.

· Hasn't missed an offensive snap since the start of the 2017 season, including starting two games at left tackle in 2021, due to injuries and COVID-19.

· Signed a three-year contract extension with the Browns during the 2021 season that carries through 2025.

· His 112 starts are the second-most by a Brown (Joe Thomas, 167) since the team returned in 1999.

· Helped the Browns lead the NFL in rushing average in 2021 with a 5.09 mark, the highest average by a Browns team since 1966. The offensive line opened holes for RB Nick Chubb, who finished second in the league in rushing yards.

· Paved the way for the Browns to finish 2020 third in the NFL in rush yards (2,374) and fifth in yards per carry (4.80 avg.). Helped the Browns record four games with at least 200 rushing yards, their most in a season since 1978. Opened holes for Nick Chubb who became first Browns RB to amass 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons (2019-20) since Jamal Lewis (2007-08).

· Helped Chubb (1,067) and Kareem Hunt (841) become the only pair of teammates to each record 840-plus rushing yards in 2020, highlighted in a win against Houston on Nov. 15, when Chubb (126) and Hunt (104) became the first Browns to each record 100 yards rushing in the same game since 1966.

· Opened holes for Nick Chubb, who finished second in the NFL in 2019 with 1,494 rushing yards, the fourth most by a Brown in a season.

· Protected Baker Mayfield, who set an NFL rookie record with 27 touchdown passes in 2018 and became just the second Browns QB to pass for 3,000 yards in three consecutive seasons (2018-20).

· Recorded first career special teams tackle on Nov. 23, 2014, making a downfield tackle on Devin Hester following a missed field goal to save a potential return touchdown in a 26-24 win at Atlanta.

· Had the unique experience of playing left guard in between 10-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas and seven-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack his first two seasons.

Personal

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

· Married, Courtney, and the couple have a daughter, Zoey, and a son, Benjamin.

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

· Attended Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, Calif. Was inducted in the school's athletic hall of fame in 2015.

· Enjoys cooking and hosted a segment on Browns television where he visited Cleveland-area restaurants, interacted with celebrity chefs and participated in cooking challenges.

· Majored in economics at Nevada.

Beyond Football

· Hosts an annual "Shop with a Pro" event, where he provides gift cards and new shoes during the holiday season for 30 children from City of Cleveland Recreation Centers.

· One of the most active Browns in the community, participating in numerous opportunities in the Cleveland area, including stuffing USO care packages and deployment bags for service members, visiting elementary schools, participating in hospital visits and supporting the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

· Wore cleats in support of his father via the American Heart Association for My Cause, My Cleats.

· Named the American Legion Man of the Year in 2015.