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Joseph Andrew Staysniak (born December 8, 1966) is a former sports radio talk show host and a former professional American football offensive lineman who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Staysniak worked for the talk radio stations WIBC (FM) and WFNI (AM) in Indianapolis until August 2021.

Early life

Staysniak played high school football at Midview High School in Grafton, Ohio.[1] After high school, he attended Ohio State University, where he was an academic standout and a member on the football team.[2] Staysniak was part of the 1986-87 Ohio State Big Ten championship team that defeated Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl Classic 28-12.[3] In 1989, he was selected as one of the team captains on the Buckeyes football team. During the same season, he was also named an Academic All-American and received All-Big Ten honors. In 2015, Neil Cornrich & NC Sports, listed Staysniak number 68 on their list of Ohio State's top 100 football players of all-time.[4]

Professional career

Staysniak was drafted in the seventh round (185th overall) by the San Diego Chargers in the 1990 NFL draft.[5][6] Although he was only a practice squad player for the Chargers, Bill Polian signed Staysniak to a contract with the Buffalo Bills.[7] Over the course of his NFL career, he played for the Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Indianapolis Colts and the Arizona Cardinals. Staysniak played in 63 games and made 33 starts during his professional career.[8] He started all 16 games for the Indianapolis Colts during the 1994 and 1995 NFL seasons. He was part of the Colts 1995 team that was led by quarterback Captain Comeback, Jim Harbaugh. The Colts eventually lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1995 AFC Championship Game 20-16.[9] In the game, Staysniak recovered a fumble deep in Colts territory to keep a critical drive alive for Indianapolis.

Radio

Staysniak was the co-host of a weekday morning sports radio talk show, "The Jeff and Big Joe Show," on 1070 the fan and 93.5 FM in Indianapolis.[10]

In 2014, he stated that he is against the notion of paying college athletes:

“This just really infuriates me because apparently I was one of the extreme few that actually cherished my scholarship and went to get the education that everybody else had to pay for. I scream at the top of my lungs every day when some of these guys are screaming for more money, more money, more money. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous, but once again, I think it’s kind of the way our country has gone. We want more, but we want to do less. I think it’s terrible."[11]

In reaction to the George Floyd Protests, on Wednesday June 3, 2020, Staysniak stated on his radio show that Black people needed to stop "being a victim," and that he found it "harder and harder to believe [Black people] are being targeted" by the police. During the same show he also expressed his belief that kneeling in front of the American flag was a treasonous action, and that the Confederate flag was not a racist symbol. He was suspended for a week without pay.[12]

Later that week, his apology was read on air that following Friday by co-host Jeff Rickard:

"Discussing on air the riots that are happening around the country, I shared views about systemic racism that did not give the proper and due attention to the horrible injustices experienced regularly by African Americans in our society," Staysniak said. "I did not stop to consider that my own experience being raised in a family of police officers is not the same as the experiences of so many in our community and in our county. For this I apologize."[13]

In August 2021, Staysniak left the show the same week that co-host Rickard left for a new position at WEEI-FM 93.7 in Boston. His last show was on August 13.[14]

Personal life

Staysniak resides in Brownsburg, Indiana with his wife and child.[7]

In 2023, he was charged with two misdemeanor counts of battery and strangulation, the former on his son and the latter on his son’s boyfriend. However, he was released from jail the same day he went in.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Joe Staysniak 1985" Archived 2013-04-18 at the Wayback Machine at Midview Athletic Hall of Fame (accessed 2012-06-24).
  2. ^ "Staysniak masters balance between grades, athletics", Associated Press in Portsmouth Daily Times, November 8, 1989.
  3. ^ Hayes, Thomas C. (January 2, 1987). "Cotton Bowl; Ohio St. Intercepts Texas A&M, 28-12". The New York Times.
  4. ^ "TOP 100 OHIO STATE PLAYERS: NO. 68, Joe Staysniak".
  5. ^ "1990 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  6. ^ "Joe Staysniak Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  7. ^ a b http://www.flyergroup.com/news/local_news/big-joe/article_9d7d37b0-6350-5528-a0b2-b8a5976de2a2.html [permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "Joe Staysniak Stats, News and Video - T". NFL.com.
  9. ^ "1995 AFC Championship game still haunts Harbaugh". May 12, 2011.
  10. ^ "The Grady and Big Joe Show". 1070thefan.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  11. ^ "Audacy: Listen to 500+ Live Radio Stations, Free". March 5, 2021.
  12. ^ "Ex-Colts OL Joe Staysniak Suspended by Radio Station for Racist Comments". Bleacher Report.
  13. ^ "Joe Staysniak Suspended from WFNI/Indy for Racist Comments".
  14. ^ "Local sports talk morning radio show loses both co-hosts".
  15. ^ "Ex-Colts OT Joe Staysniak charged with battery, strangulation after incident with son". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 22, 2023.

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