| No. 78, 77, 73 | |||||||||
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| Position | Guard | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1973-10-31)October 31, 1973 (age 52) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 305 lb (138 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Dowling Catholic(West Des Moines, Iowa)[1] | ||||||||
| College | Iowa[1] | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1997: 1st round, 30th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Ross Robert Verba (born October 31, 1973) is an American former professionalfootball player in theNational Football League (NFL). A 6'4", 305-lb.guard from theUniversity of Iowa, Verba was a first-team All-Big Ten player in 1996.[2] He was selected by theGreen Bay Packers in the 1st round (30th overall) of the1997 NFL draft.[3]
Verba was the first rookie to ever start a Super Bowl atleft tackle, when the Packers faced the Denver Broncos inSuper Bowl XXXII. He played four seasons for the Packers from 1997 to 2000, and three with theCleveland Browns from 2001 to 2004.[4] In June 2005, having failed to obtain an upgraded contract, Verba rebated his offseason bonus in order to obtain his release from the Browns.[5] After one season out of the league, Verba signed with theDetroit Lions for a final NFL season in 2006. He was released by the Lions on February 28, 2007, after spending eight games inactive with various injuries[6] and being placed on injured reserve.
Verba was arrested on January 4, 2007, in Wisconsin on a felony warrant for writing bad checks in Nevada and released one day later. According to theWisconsin State Patrol,Nevada authorities lifted the warrant after Verba resolved a misunderstanding regarding an outstanding debt[7] of $50,000 at theWynn Las Vegas casino.[8] Subsequently, Verba was arrested in 2009 on another Nevada warrant for failing to pay a $26,000 gambling debt at thePalms Resort and Casino.[9][10]