View source for Greg Eslinger

{{Short description|American football player (born 1983)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Greg Eslinger
| image       =
| image_size  = 
| alt         = 
| caption     = 
| number      = 67, 50
| position    = [[Center (gridiron football)|Center]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1983|4|23|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bismarck, North Dakota]], U.S.
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 3
| weight_lb   = 292
| high_school = [[Bismarck High School|Bismarck]]
| college     = [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]] (2002–2005)
| draftyear   = 2006
| draftround  = 6
| draftpick   = 198
| pastteams   =
* [[Denver Broncos]] ({{NFL Year|2006|2007}})
: → [[Cologne Centurions (NFL Europe)|Cologne Centurions]] ([[2007 NFL Europa season|2007]])
* [[Cleveland Browns]] (2007)
* [[Houston Texans]] ({{NFL Year|2007|2008}})*
* Denver Broncos (2008)*
| highlights  =
* First-team All-NFL Europa (2007)
* [[Outland Trophy]] (2005)
* [[Rimington Trophy]] (2005)
* [[Jim Parker Trophy]] (2005)
* [[List of unanimous All-Americans in college football|Unanimous All-American]] ([[2005 College Football All-America Team|2005]])
* First-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[2004 College Football All-America Team|2004]])
* Third-team All-American ([[2003 College Football All-America Team|2003]])
* [[Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year]] (2005)
* 3× First-team All-[[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|Big Ten]] ([[2003 All-Big Ten Conference football team|2003]]–[[2005 All-Big Ten Conference football team|2005]])
| CollegeHOF  = 2550
}}

'''Greg Eslinger''' (born April 23, 1983) is an American former [[American football|football]] [[Center (gridiron football)|center]]. He played [[college football]] for the [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota Golden Gophers]], where he won both the [[Outland Trophy]] and the [[Rimington Trophy]], also received [[List of unanimous All-Americans in college football|unanimous All-American]] honors. He was selected by the [[Denver Broncos]] in the sixth round of the [[2006 NFL draft]], and was a member of several NFL teams, but never played in a regular season game.

==College career==
A [[Bismarck, North Dakota]] native, Eslinger attended the [[University of Minnesota]], where he was a four-year [[Starting lineup|starter]] for the [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football]] team from 2002 to 2005.  He was a three-time first-team [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Ten]] selection (2003, 2004, 2005) and a unanimous All-American in 2005.  As a senior in 2005, he was awarded the [[Outland Trophy]], which is given to [[college football]]'s best interior [[Lineman (football)|lineman]], as well as the [[Dave Rimington Trophy]], awarded to [[college football]]'s top [[center (American football)|center]]. Eslinger was named as a member of the 2025 class of the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] on January 15, 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class |url=https://www.cfbhall.com/news-and-happenings/news/2025-college-football-hall-of-fame-class/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.cfbhall.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Awards and honors===
* ''[[Sporting News]]'' Freshman [[All-America]]n (2002)
* Third-team All-American (2003)
* First-team [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Ten]] (2003–2005)
* [[Football Writers Association of America|FWAA]] [[2004 College Football All-America Team|All-American]] (2004)
* [[Dave Rimington Trophy|Rimington Trophy]] finalist (2004)
* Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year (2005)
* [[Lombardi Award]] semifinalist (2005)
* Unanimous [[2005 College Football All-America Team|All-American]] (2005)
* [[Outland Trophy]] (2005)
* Rimington Trophy (2005)

==Professional career==
{{NFL predraft
|    height ft = 6
|    height in = 3 1/8
|       weight = 292
|         dash = 5.13
|    ten split = 1.75
| twenty split = 2.98
|      shuttle = 4.68
|   cone drill = 7.59
|     vertical = 30.0
|     broad ft = 8
|     broad in = 5
|        bench = 28
|     arm span = 31 1/2
|    hand span = 9 3/8
|         note = All values from [[NFL Combine]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/greg-eslinger/32004553-4c29-6636-57d7-c76b279dbf0b |title=Greg Eslinger Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=January 1, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=10228&DraftYear=2006 |title=Greg Eslinger College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=January 1, 2025}}</ref>
}}

The Denver Broncos chose Eslinger in the sixth round (198th overall pick) of the [[2006 NFL draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2006 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2006/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>  He was on their [[injured reserve]] list and did not play during the [[2006 NFL season]].  Assigned to the [[Cologne Centurions (NFL Europe)|Cologne Centurions]] of the [[NFL Europa]] for 2007, he started at center and earned All-NFL Europa honors.  The Broncos moved Eslinger to the practice squad at the beginning of 2007.  On November 13, 2007, the Cleveland Browns picked him off the Bronco practice squad.<ref name="q546">{{cite web  | title=Browns pick-off Eslinger from Bronx | website=The Denver Post | date=2007-11-14 | url=https://www.denverpost.com/2007/11/14/browns-pick-off-eslinger-from-bronx/ | access-date=2024-08-14}}</ref>  On December 12, 2007, he was released from the Cleveland Browns.  On December 20, 2007, he was signed to the Houston Texans practice squad.  Eslinger was re-signed to the Bronco practice squad in the 2008 season.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.footballdb.com/players/greg-eslinger-eslingr01 NFL Europa profile]

{{Outland Trophy}}
{{Rimingtontrophywinners}}
{{2005 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Broncos2006DraftPicks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eslinger, Greg}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:American football centers]]
[[Category:Cologne Centurions (NFL Europe) players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Browns players]]
[[Category:Denver Broncos players]]
[[Category:Houston Texans players]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers football players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bismarck, North Dakota]]
[[Category:Players of American football from North Dakota]]