Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Role American football player High school: Pottsville (PA) Weight 137 kg | College: Syracuse Education Syracuse University Name John Flannery Positions Guard, Center | |
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Date of birth: (1969-01-13) January 13, 1969 (age 46) Place of birth: Pottsville, Pennsylvania NFL draft: 1991 / Round: 2 / Pick: 44 | ||
John Joseph Flannery (born January 13, 1969) is a former offensive guard and center in the National Football League. He played from 1991 to 1998 for the Houston Oilers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the St. Louis Rams.
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Early years
Flannery was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania and attended Pottsville High School, where he played defensive tackle and center. As a senior, he was named defensive MVP of Pennsylvania’s Big 33 and won the state heavyweight wrestling championship.
He accepted a scholarship from Syracuse University. As a freshman, he was the starter at left guard. He was moved to center the next year and earned All-American honors as a senior.
In 1999, he was named to the Syracuse University's All-Century team.
Houston Oilers
Flannery was selected by the Houston Oilers in the second round (44th overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft. Because future hall of famer Bruce Matthews was the starting center at the time, he was moved to right guard where he started the first 9 games of the season until suffering a knee sprain and playing mainly on special teams after that. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie team.
The next year, he just started 2 games. In 1993, he was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in training camp on his left knee. In 1994, he was the regular starter at left guard. He was waived on August 8, 1995.
Green Bay Packers
On August 10, 1995, he signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers, but it was invalidated after he failed a physical because of his previous knee injury.
Dallas Cowboys
In 1996, he was signed 4 weeks into the season as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. In 1997, he competed with Clay Shiver for the starting center position that was left open with the release of Ray Donaldson, but he ended up as the backup and started 4 games at left guard.
St. Louis Rams
On April 1, 1998, he was signed as a free agent by the St. Louis Rams and was named the starter at center. The next year, he was placed on the injured reserve list, in a season the team went on to win Super Bowl XXXIV.