Player Profile: Joe Dineen, Jr.
#29 Joe Dineen, Jr.
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6-2
Weight: 225
Class: Senior
Hometown: Lawrence, Kan.
High School: Free State HS
2017 (RJr.): Voted a team captain ... Started all 12 games at linebacker ... KU’s first Sports Illustrated All-American since Aqib Talib in 2007 after earning second-team honors ... Tabbed All-Big 12 First Team by the Waco Tribune-Herald and All-Big 12 Second Team by the league coaches, Associated Press and Phil Steele Magazine ... Led the FBS and Big 12 in solo tackles with 7.6 per game ... Set a KU single-season record with 25.0 tackles-for-loss ... Ranked third in the FBS and first in the Big 12 with 2.1 TFLs per game ... Ranks eighth on the KU single-season tackles chart with 137 in 2017, the most for a Jayhawk since Roger Robben finished with 189 in 1989 ... His 11.4 tackles per game led the Big 12 and ranked third in the FBS ... Registered 10 or more tackles in 10-of-12 games ... Had 137 tackles, 25.0 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, two breakups, two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble on the season ... SEMO: Named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week following his performance against the Redhawks ... Had a game-high 15 tackles and 2.5 TFLs ... Central Michigan: Credited with 12 total tackles, 2.5 TFLs and a QBH ... at Ohio: Recorded 11 tackles and two stops behind the line of scrimmage ... West Virginia: Tallied 14 total hits, 2.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack and one QBH ... Texas Tech: Had nine tackles, 1.0 TFL and one breakup ... at Iowa State: Tied his career high with 16 stops, including 10 solo hits ... Also had 2.0 TFLs ... at TCU: Recorded 11 tackles and 1.0 TFL against the Horned Frogs ... K-State: Had 11 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and one pass breakup in the Sunflower Showdown ... Baylor: Registered 11 total tackles, including 10 solo stops ... Set a new career high with 4.0 TFLs ... Also had one sack against the Bears ... at Texas: Turned in 12 tackles and 1.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks ... Oklahoma: Recorded four solo tackles against the Sooners ... at Oklahoma State: Tied his career-high with four tackles behind the line of scrimmage ... Also had 11 tackles and forced a fumble.
2016 (Jr.): Started in three games before becoming injured at Memphis and sitting out the remainder of the season … Totaled 16 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry in his shortened stint … Totaled a season-high 10 tackles and 2.0 TFLs against Ohio … Rhode Island: Earned the start at linebacker and posted four tackles – one behind the line-of-scrimmage – while also breaking up a pass in KU’s win … Ohio: Tackled in double digits for the first time in 2016 after a 10-stop performance against the Bobcats … Also stopped two Ohio plays in the backfield … at Memphis: Made two tackles before suffering an injury in the game’s opening series and missing the remainder of the year.
2015 (So.): Contributed in all 12 games, starting nine contests at linebacker… Finished second on the team in total tackles (86) and tackles for loss (6.5), while he was third with three sacks… Logged 10 or more tackles in four games (Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU and West Virginia)… His 16 tackles against West Virginia were the most of any Jayhawk in 2015… South Dakota State: Saw significant time at linebacker, making two tackles, along with a jarring hit on the quarterback which counted for a ‘hurry’… Memphis: Started the first game of his career at linebacker and posted two tackles, along with a quarterback hurry… at Rutgers: Started his second-consecutive game and recorded four tackles… at Iowa State: Contributed two tackles… Baylor: Turned in a then career-best performance after posting seven tackles… Texas Tech: Tackled in double-figures for the first time in his career after 10 tackles, 1.0 sack and 2.5 tackles for loss… at Oklahoma State: Maintained his double-digit tackling streak for the second-straight week after a game-best 11 tackles, including a - sack… Oklahoma: Tied for the second-best total of the day with nine tackles and a quarterback hurry… at Texas: Secured three tackles… at TCU: Notched his third game tackling in double figures after an 11-tackle, 1.0 sack performance… West Virginia: Logged the most tackles of any Jayhawk in 2015 after a career-best 16 tackles, including one for loss, to go along with a pass breakup and quarterback hurry… K-State: Garnered nine tackles - one for loss.
2014 (Fr.): Saw action in 11 games on the year at various positions… at Duke: Made his Jayhawk debut, carrying the ball six times for 28 yards... Central Michigan: Attempted and completed his first-career pass for five yards... Texas: Ran the ball five times for 15 yards... at West Virginia: Had three carries for two yards... Oklahoma State: Recorded a special teams tackle... at Texas Tech: Notched a career-high two special teams tackles... TCU: Moved back to defense prior to the game... Contributed one tackle against the Horned Frogs... at K-State: Credited with one tackle.
High School: Rated a three-star prospect by both Rivals.com... Named the 2013 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year... A standout two-way player as he starred as both a quarterback and safety at FSHS... Passed for 1,702 yards and 20 touchdowns, completing 118 of his 222 attempts, and helped guide the Firebirds (9-2) to the Class 6A state quarterfinals as a senior... Also rushed for 798 yards and 12 touchdowns on 136 carries... Set school records for single-game passing yards (292) and most points scored in a season (194)... Accounted for 32 total touchdowns as a senior... Recorded 73 total tackles, five for a loss, recovered two fumbles and collected one interception on defense... Set a school record for the most defensive points scored in a career... Tabbed as the Sunflower League’s Andre Maloney Award recipient as the most valuable player... Named to the Kansas City Star’s All-Sunflower League First Team as both a quarterback and defensive back in 2013... Earned 2013 honorable mention All-KC Metro honors at quarterback from the Kansas City Star... Led his team to a 10-2 mark and the Class 6A semifinals as a junior... Played for head coach Bob Lisher at FSHS... Also lettered in basketball and baseball.
Personal: Son of Joe and Jodi Dineen... Comes from a long line of Jayhawks as both of his parents are KU grads and his mother, Jodi Oelschlager, was a volleyball letterwinner (1986-89)... Grandfather, Ron Oelschlager, played running back at KU (1962-64)... Great-grandfather, J. Roy Holliday, played basketball at KU under legendary coach Phog Allen (1936-37)... Majoring in pre-business.