| No. 67, 68 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Offensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1970-07-19)July 19, 1970 (age 55) Tehran,Imperial Iran |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Weight | 312 lb (142 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | University (CA) |
| College | Nevada |
| Career history | |
| 1993 | Cleveland Browns* |
| 1994–1995 | Baltimore Stallions |
| 1996–1998 | Washington Redskins |
| 1999–2000 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2001 | Oakland Raiders |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
Stats atPro Football Reference  | |
Shahriar Pourdanesh (born July 19, 1970) is a formerAmerican footballoffensive lineman who played in theNational Football League (NFL) for theWashington Redskins,Pittsburgh Steelers, andOakland Raiders from 1996 to 2001 when in 2001 a severe knee injury cut his career short. He is distinguished as being the firstIranian to play in theNational Football League (NFL).
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Pourdanesh is a graduate ofUniversity High School inIrvine, California.
An All-American and All Conference selection, and two time team captain for theUniversity of Nevada at Reno, where in 1992 he was awarded Nevada's Most Outstanding Offensive Player award. He was an integral part and leader of one of the nation's top offenses during that span, and helped lead theWolfpack to three conference titles and a spot in the 1990 1AA National Title game. He was inducted into the Nevada athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
He previously played with theBaltimore Stallions of theCanadian Football League from 1994 to 1995, where he was an All-Star and won theCFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award in 1994 (the first ever rookie to be honored so), and was a member of the Grey Cup Championship team in 1995. He was also signed to a one-year deal with theCleveland Browns in 1993 under coachBill Belichick. He played for theWashington Redskins before being traded toPittsburgh in August 1999 for a conditional seventh-round selection in the2000 draft.[1] He is the only Iranian-born football player in NFL history and has over 80 professional starts in his career.
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Shar and his family escaped theIranian Revolution in 1979 and fled to Europe. The Pourdanesh family settled inIrvine, California in 1983 after spending 3 years inWest Germany.