A case of addition by subtraction. Or maybe addition because of subtraction is a better way to put it.
When Anthony Becht became a free agent in 2005 and signed with Tampa Bay, that left Chris Baker as the only tight end on the Jets roster from the previous season. And so within days, they acquired veteran tight end Doug Jolley in a trade with the Raiders and then chose Joel Dreessen from Colorado State in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.
It was a bittersweet experience for the two-time All-Mountain West selection.
"It was pretty disappointing for me. I was expecting to go anywhere around three to five, and rounds three and five came and went. And then we're plugging through the sixth round and I'm like, 'Man, this sucks,'" Dreessen laughed. "The Jets had just traded for Doug Jolley, so I wasn't sure what they were going to do. But then pick 198 comes up, and they called me, 'Hey, this is (General Manager) Terry Bradway. We're shocked you're still available. We're going to take you.' And that was it.
"The Jets were the only team that had any contact with me prior to the draft. I went there for a visit and met with (head coach) Herm (Edwards) and Terry Bradway, John Zernhelt, the tight ends coach, and Mike Heimerdinger, the offensive coordinator. So there was some familiarity there. It just didn't happen as soon as I would have cared for."
Even though Dreessen caught 123 passes for 1,295 yards and 10 touchdowns, as well as was the long snapper in college, the rookie relied on his newfound veteran teammates to help him develop at the NFL level.
"Doug Jolley, he was very helpful for me," Dreessen said. "He took time to explain plays. And, man, when you're a rookie, it's so hard to learn everything. Going from college to the pros, it's difficult.
"Chris Baker and Doug, they were both very kind to me. I mean, don't get me wrong, they weren't going out of their way to help me by any means, because I was a draft pick and they're the established veterans. But I have no complaints about those guys."
After sweating through offseason workouts and mini-camps, as training camp wound down and the season was about to begin, Dreessen learned that he'd be one of those guys. That he made the team.
"I was just so excited. I was so thrilled, because the whole OTA [organized team practice activity] process was so overwhelming for me. The offense was like memorizing a dictionary," Dreessen said. "I wasn't used to that kind of pressure at every practice, and every practice being so competitive. And then finally, training camp rolls around, and I was going to know this offense inside out. Every script we got for practice; I drew up every single play. I learned it, and I really started to get better with my technique.
"At one point during training camp, Herm Edwards described me to someone in the media as one of the most improved players of the entire camp, and I was thrilled. And at the last preseason game, we played the Eagles and I had two or three catches for like 46 yards, and we won the game (37-14). But I was on pins and needles for the whole next 48 hours. And finally, I never got a call (to see the coach and bring my playbook). So no news was good news.
"And the day after final cuts, I'm walking into the cafeteria, and John Zernhelt walks up and gives me a big hug. He's like, 'You made it! You're going to be on the 53(-man roster).' And then he says, 'You know, I don't know how much you're going to play, but this is big time! It's big time that you're on the 53.' I'm like, 'Okay, cool.' But I was just absolutely ecstatic. I called my family, sent emails to all my people back home, 'I made it! I made it!' I was thrilled, but at the same time I knew, 'Hey, this is when the work really begins. It's when things get serious.'"
Playing mostly on special teams, Dreessen's first career reception came during the Jets' Week 10 game in front of his family and friends back in his neck of the woods, Denver, Colorado. Granted, it was only his eighth game in the NFL, but Dreessen felt his catch against the Broncos was a long time coming.
"It was extra special because I'd had some opportunities earlier in the season when, because Chris Baker broke his leg, I started playing more offense," he said. "I had a couple targets and I was just making rookie mistakes. I should have had my first reception several weeks prior to that, but I ran a crappy route or didn't read the coverage right or whatever. It didn't happen.
"And then versus Denver, I'll never forget it. Vinny Testaverde had been dealing with a calf or an Achilles or something and Brooks Bollinger, our starter, he went down with an injury. And so Vinny came in. We're down by two or three scores and trying to put a drive together and Vinny, he's like, 'Hey, I'm coming to you with this.' And he threw me a dart, hit me right in the chest, and I spun around and fought for some yards up the sideline. That was really cool to have that happen in Colorado. I still have the ball sitting here in my office. That was a big deal for me."
Dreessen also felt it was a big deal to have the opportunity to play for and learn from renowned special teams coach Mike Westhoff. It's one of the fondest memories from his time with the Green & White.
"I mean, good gravy, that dude had been around for three decades before I ever knew him," Dreessen said. "He had so much football knowledge. And I loved his meetings. They were so informative, engaging. I think just my entire rookie process of learning how to be a contributor on special teams and learning from Mike Westhoff, that was invaluable."
There were sweeping changes around the Jets in 2006. Bradway was out, and assistant GM Mike Tannenbaum was promoted to replace him. Edwards was also out, and Eric Mangini became a first-time head coach.
And at the end of training camp, Dreessen was surprised to find himself in the dustpan, as well.
"That was devastating. Eric Mangini, he was wrong about me. I played good. I led the tight ends in receiving that preseason," he said. "I definitely struggled because of the mental side of it, the sports psychology aspect of it. I freaked myself out too much. And that's because you walk into the parking lot and you're on pins and needles. Your stomach goes automatic butterflies because Eric Mangini is going to humiliate you in the team meeting. It was intimidating.
"I fully did not expect to get cut. I just got out of the cold tub and get back to my locker and there's a voicemail saying, 'Hey, Joel, bring your playbook,' yada, yada, yada. So I go up to Tannenbaum's office and him and Mangini, they give me the whole lip service. Tannenbaum tells me, 'Oh, you're basically the 54th guy on the roster. You're going to have an opportunity elsewhere.' I was just frustrated because I thought I represented the five core Jet values that they always preached upon.
"I didn't have any practice squad eligibility because I played in too many games as a rookie. They've changed that rule since. But I spent the whole season out of football. Every Monday night I would fly to some city, go through their mini-combine on Tuesday, and they would tell me, 'You're on our short list. If we have an injury to a tight end, we'll holler at you.' And it never happened all season. It was tough way to spend the year."
After crisscrossing the country and piling up frequent flyer miles, Tampa Bay wanted to sign Dreessen with one game remaining, and at the same time, Houston offered him a futures contract.
"I chose Houston over Tampa Bay. And honestly, when I got there, I was buried on the depth chart," Dreessen said. "They wanted me to compete as a long snapper, but I knew I could be a tight end. And so I changed my life. I broke up with my girlfriend, changed my diet, totally rededicated my life, made every single thing that happened to me, my fault. It was no longer Mike Tannenbaum or Eric Mangini's fault. It was all my choice. And I'll be damned if I didn't fight and crawl and scratch and earn a spot on that team in 2007. And then I didn't miss a game for the next five years."
Dreessen would spend nine seasons in the league with the Jets, Texans and Broncos. He and his wife, Stacy, now make their home in Castle Rock, CO, with their son, Dylan, and daughter, Kyla.
"I like to think that I was good with my money that I made in the NFL. I saved it all and invested wisely, and we try to live off of the interest and dividends," Dreessen said. "We also have a cattle ranch in Texas. My parents live in Amarillo, and they help us take care of that.
"And I volunteer on the coaching staff at the high school in town, Castle View. My son's a freshman there, so this is my first year with those guys. But I've been coaching his youth team, seventh and eighth grade the last two years."
And the best thing about being Joel Dreessen today…
"Probably just settling into a lifestyle that I kind of always envisioned myself doing with just being super close with my kids," he said. "Being a family man, coaching a little bit of football, working with animals, that sort of thing. I think for the most part, I feel very blessed. All my dreams, through a lot of hard work, have come true. So I just try to take it one day at a time and be an uplifting, positive presence with people that I have relationships with."
