The high-energy defensive tackle exudes passion for the game he dearly loves and became a full-time starter for the Wildcats up front on a defense this year. A defense that is regarded as one of the best in the country.
Joe is a people person and one of the best things about playing the game is the relationships that come from sports. Through being a chapter leader for the Northwestern Chapter of Uplifting Athletes for two years, Joe found another outlet to expand his belief in family and helping others. Joe relishes serving the Rare Disease Community by using his platform to let them know they are not alone and they have teammates at Northwestern.
During the pandemic, Joe has taken his passion for being there for others to another level by building a deep and personal relationship with a rare disease patient part of his everyday life. Even when the Wildcats’ season started and his life became more of a blur, Joe made sure that relationship didn’t falter and he continued to make the rare disease patient community a priority.
A three-year contributor for the Wildcats, Joe appeared in 26 games for Northwestern as a role player and back-up. This year he made his first career start against Iowa in the second game and never let go of his starting job. His contributions helped Northwestern win the Big Ten West title and play in the Big Ten Championship game.
