Joseph John Zelenka (born March 9, 1976) is a former American football long snapper in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Wake Forest.

Joe Zelenka
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Zelenka (left) with Dolphins' long snapper John Denney in 2011
No. 52, 85, 83, 88, 82
Position:Long snapper / Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1976-03-09) March 9, 1976 (age 48)
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:256 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High school:Benedictine (Cleveland, Ohio)
College:Wake Forest
Undrafted:1999
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Games played:194
Total tackles:14
Fumble recoveries:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Zelenka also played for the Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons.

Early life

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Joe started playing football at a very early age in the Catholic Youth Organization football league in northern Ohio, playing for the St. Mary's Chargers (Berea, OH).

Zelenka attended Benedictine High School (Cleveland, Ohio) and was a letterman in football. In football, as a senior, he was given the Coaches' Award and was a second-team All-State selection.

College career

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Zelenka attended Wake Forest University and in addition to handling longsnapping duties, he was a tight end. As a tight end, he finished his career with 25 receptions for 217 yards (8.68 yards per rec, avg.).

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