Jeff Uhlenhake

Jeffrey Alan Uhlenhake ( ; born January 28, 1966) is an American former professional football player who was a center for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1989 NFL draft.

Early life Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Uhlenhake moved to Ohio, settling in Beechwood. He had expected to attend Bishop Watterson High School to play football, but his family abruptly moved outside of Columbus and he was instead educated at Newark Catholic High School, where he was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and baseball. In his four years of high school football, Newark Catholic went to a state final on four consecutive occasions, lifting the Division V title during his junior year in 1982.

College career Uhlenhake played college football for the Buckeyes at Ohio State University. He was a four-year starter, playing left guard as a freshman and sophomore and center as a junior and senior. Prior to his senior season, his teammates elected him as a team co-captain. That season, he was the team's only All-America selection, and his teammates voted him their Most Valuable Player.

Professional career Uhlenhake was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1989 NFL draft with the 121st overall pick. He immediately became the starting center and continued in that role for the next four seasons. The closest the Dolphins got to the Super Bowl during Uhlenhake's time there was in the 1992 season, where they lost to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC National Championship Game at Joe Robbie Stadium.