J. D. Maarleveld

John David "J. D." Maarleveld (born October 24, 1961 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is a former American football player. He played offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which selected him in the fifth round of the 1986 NFL Draft (112th overall).[1] He played college football at the University of Maryland after transferring from the University of Notre Dame, following his survival after a bout with cancer.[2]

J. D. Maarleveld
Born: (1961-10-24) October 24, 1961
Jersey City, New Jersey
Career information
StatusRetired
Position(s)Offensive tackle
Height6 ft 6 in (198 cm)
Weight300 lb (140 kg)
CollegeNotre Dame
Maryland
High schoolSaint Joseph of the Palisades High School (West New York, New Jersey)
NFL draft1986 / Round: 5 / Pick: 119
Career history
As player
1986–1987Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Career highlights and awards
Career stats

College career

A native of Jersey City, Maarleveld enrolled at the University of Notre Dame after graduating from Saint Joseph of the Palisades High School and played football as an offensive tackle.[3] Shortly after his sophomore year in 1982, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, one of the more curable types of cancer when discovered in its early stages. Notre Dame head coach Gerry Faust assured him that he had a position on the team after he recovered. Maarleveld forced himself to eat and maintained a vigorous workout routine throughout the duration of his chemotherapy, and he lost only 35 pounds as a result.[2]

A year later, doctors assessed that he was free of cancer. However, Faust informed his parents that there was no longer a place for him on the Notre Dame team and was unsure whether he was still in football condition. Faust recommended that Maarleveld transfer to a Division II school.[2]

He instead transferred to Maryland to play under head coach Bobby Ross and offensive line coach Ralph Friedgen. In 1984, he was the recipient of the Brian Piccolo Award, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) award for overcoming adversity. In 1985, he was named a consensus first-team All-American.[2][4]

Professional career

Maarleveld entered the 1986 NFL Draft and expected himself to be a first-round pick.[2] Instead, he was selected in the fifth round (119th overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[5] He expressed the belief that his placement in the draft was due to his earlier battle with cancer.[2]

Maarleveld played for the Buccaneers for two years. In 1986, he played in 14 games and, in 1987, he played in 11 games including three starts.[5] In 1988, the Buccaneers waived his contract before the start of the season.[6]

Later life

Maarleveld was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.[7] His nephew, Andrew Gonnella, also attended Maryland as a walk-on offensive lineman.[8] His son Max is a pitcher at Montclair State University.

References
  1. J.D. Maarleveld Past Stats Archived 2011-05-28 at the Wayback Machine, Database Football, retrieved 5 January 2009.
  2. Jack Friedman, Cancer Couldn't Whip Tampa Bay's J.D. Maarleveld; Now He's Making Sure That the NFL Gets the Message, People Magazine, 11 August 1986, retrieved 5 January 2009.
  3. Bengel, Chris. "Maryland Football Countdown: No. 73, J.D. Maarleveld", FanSided, August 6, 2015. Accessed October 24, 2018. "J.D. Maarleveld embarked on a difficult and rewarding journey to become a successful Terp. The Jersey City native enrolled at Notre Dame as an offensive tackle after a successful high school career.... However, just one year later, Faust informed Maarleveld that his spot on the team was no longer available and advised the former St. Joseph of the Palisades High School star that he should transfer to a Division II school."
  4. All-Time Honors (PDF), 2002 Maryland Terrapins Football Media Guide, 2002, retrieved 5 January 2009.
  5. J.D. Maarleveld Statistics, Pro Football Reference, retrieved 5 January 2009.
  6. Transactions, The New York Times, 29 August 1988, retrieved 6 January 2009.
  7. Maryland Athletics Walk of Fame and History Archived December 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, University of Maryland Terrapins Athletics official website, retrieved 5 January 2009.
  8. For Gonnella, it's all in the family, The Washington Times, August 25, 2009.
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