Ross Verba

Ross Verba

No. 78
Position:	Offensive guard
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1973-10-31) October 31, 1973
Place of birth:	Des Moines, Iowa
Height:
Weight:
Career information
College:	Iowa
NFL draft:	1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 30
Career history
Green Bay Packers (1997–2000) Cleveland Browns (2001–2004) Detroit Lions (2006)
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com

Ross Robert Verba (born October 31, 1973) is a former American professional football player. A 6'4", 305-lb. guard from the University of Iowa, Verba was a first-team All-Big Ten player in 1996. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 1st round (30th overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft.

Verba was the first rookie to ever start a Super Bowl at left tackle, when the Packers faced the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII. He played four seasons for the Packers from 1997 to 2000, and four with the Cleveland Browns from 2001 to 2004. In June, 2005, having failed to obtain an upgraded contract, Verba rebated his offseason bonus in order to obtain his release from the Browns. After one season out of the league, Verba signed with the Detroit 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 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 the Wisconsin State Patrol, Nevada authorities lifted the warrant after Verba resolved a misunderstanding regarding an outstanding debt of $50,000 at the Wynn Las Vegas casino. Subsequently, Verba was arrested in 2009 on another Nevada warrant for failing to pay a $26,000 gambling debt at the Palms Resort and Casino. Verba resides in Scottsdale Arizona with Dizzle and Tizzle.

References

Preceded by John Michels

Green Bay Packers starting left tackle 1997–2000

Succeeded by Chad Clifton