Overview

Overview

Steve Justice is one of the premier centers in this class, combining excellent quickness, explosive hip roll and outstanding technique to dominate the college ranks.

Known for his hand-placement skills, the center is hailed as having the best balance of any pivot man in the game, doing a fine job of mirroring the defender throughout the play.

Football is a rich tradition in the Justice household. All three sons of Patty and Wally Justice have excelled in the game. Steve's older brother, Kevin, played at the Air Force Academy (1996-2000) and another brother, Doug, was a linebacker at the University of North Carolina.

Steve Justice was a three-year starter on both the offensive and defensive lines at New Smyrna Beach High School. He earned All-State honors as a junior and senior and was also an All-District selection on offense. He was named the District 4-A Player of the Year in 2002, in addition to garnering first-team All-Five Star Conference and two-time All-Central Florida accolades.

Rated the 42nd-best offensive guard nationally by Rivals100.com, Justice graded 91% for blocking consistency on offense and tallied 54 tackles, including 10 for losses, and two sacks on defense. He also earned first-team All-County and second-team All-Area honors in wrestling. He graduated in the top 10 of his class, received the National Scholar-Athlete Award from the U.S. Army Reserve and was named DAR Citizen of the Year.

Justice enrolled at Wake Forest in 2003, choosing the university because of "the small class size, small campus, beautiful area and great football." He performed on the scout team that year, learning the technique to play the center position. He was used mostly on the punt unit in 11 games as a reserve center in 2004, participating in 30 offensive snaps.

As a sophomore, Justice took over center duties. The Raleigh News & Observer's All-Big Four Team choice was one of only three players on offense to start all 11 games, participating in all 855 offensive snaps on the season. He was a key member of Wake Forest's offensive line that paved the way for a rushing attack that averaged more than 197 yards per game.

In 2006, Justice earned first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors. He was twice named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week, starting all 14 games in the middle. In 829 plays, he posted 66 knockdowns, including nine touchdown-resulting blocks. The offense would go on to average 307.0 yards per game.

As a senior, Justice earned All-American honors from six different news services, in addition to being chosen All-ACC first-team. He received the Atlantic Coast Conference's prestigious Jacobs Blocking Trophy, awarded annually to the conference's top lineman. He was also the runner-up for the Rimington Trophy, as he registered 65 knockdowns, with 12 touchdown-resulting blocks, helping the team improve to an average of 334.5 yards per game in total offense.

"Steve is as good an offensive lineman as we have ever had," said Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe. "He has exceptional skills, is a team leader and an outstanding young man. He has a bright future in football and he is one player that we will truly miss next year."

High School

Attended New Smyrna Beach (Fla.) High School, playing football for head coach Stu Hot...Three-year starter on both the offensive and defensive lines...Earned All-State honors as a junior and senior and was also an All-District selection on offense...Named the District 4-A Player of the Year in 2002, in addition to garnering first-team All-Five Star Conference and two-time All-Central Florida accolades...Rated the 42nd-best offensive guard nationally by Rivals100.com...Graded 91% for blocking consistency on offense and recorded tallied 54 tackles, including ten for loss, and two sacks on defense...Earned first-team All-County and second-team All-Area honors in wrestling...Graduated in the top 10 of his class, received the National Scholar-Athlete Award from the U.S. Army Reserve and was named DAR Citizen of the Year.

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Analysis

Analysis

Positives:

Lacks ideal muscle tone or upper-body strength to be a mauler, but is a solid finesse-type blocker with the balance and body control to mirror most in-line movement...Extremely quick off the rise to get into his man, showing good hand placement but lacks punch...Demonstrates good flexibility, balance, and body control and gets his hips turned around properly to wall off defenders...Very effective at using his flexibility and balance to snap and lead on screens...Smart, instinctive athlete, who is quick to pick up stunts and games...Will not have problems taking plays from the chalkboard to the playing field...Very passionate about the game, putting in the extra hours in practices and the film room to prepare for his upcoming opponent...Plays through pain and takes well to hard coaching...Does a fine job of keeping his hands inside the frame in order to latch on and control his man...Gains advantage on a lethargic defender most of the time due to his quickness off the snap...Has enough explosiveness in his initial step to open the hole (needs to do a better job of sustaining in space)...Does a good job of sliding his feet and generating pop working in-line, showing good communication on combo blocks with his guards...Has enough functional leg drive to gain movement, coming on the rise with hands properly extended...Rolls his hips and drives into defenders well, doing a nice job of keeping his pads low and centered, which lets him maintain his base in isolated situations...Slides his feet smoothly to mirror on the pass rush, as he is quicker out of his stance than most centers...Demonstrates a good fit, with his head and hands locked in, rolling his hips to generate the sustained movement needed to gain position...Has learned to compensate for a lack of ideal strength by taking proper angles and sliding his feet to maintain leverage...Shows good ability to snap with proper knee-bend and explode off the snap with a flat back, fitting well during the beginning of his slide in attempts to wall off...Has the balance to get out front on pulls, as he is light enough on his feet to impact along the edge to turn and seal...Climbs into the second level with good flexibility and gets his hands up quickly in pass protection...Lacks the strength you need to destroy the bull rush, but he has the hand set to stop the rusher's feet, doing a good job of adjusting to counter moves...Not a strong puncher, but compensates by using his hands to lock on and steer in the passing situations...Has the feet to adjust to movement and fluid lateral kick when changing direction...Opens his hips to maintain balance on the move and plays flat-footed, doing a nice job of getting his weight back in his stance and bending his knees when sliding and mirroring pass rushers.

Negatives:

Needs to improve his physique, as he has marginal muscle tone, undersized legs and adequate upper-body chest thickness...Lacks solid anchor strength in pass protection and can be pushed back at the point of attack vs. a strong bull rush (see 2007 Nebraska and North Carolina State games)...Has great hand-placement skills to mirror, but his lack of upper-body power prevents him from dominating the bigger linemen...Needs to do a better job of sustaining his blocks working in space (when his base narrows, he fails to clear his feet, causing defenders to slip off some hits)...Has good arm length, but will sometimes overextend and lunge making reach blocks...Must learn to stay lower in his pads to improve his base, as he will get walked back trying to widen the rush lanes when his pad level gets too high.

Compares To:

TOM NALEN-Denver...Like Nalen, Justice's physique and lack of strength might scare off some teams, but Justice is an excellent technique blocker with the foot speed, balance and body control to mirror. He needs to do a better job of sustaining blocks, especially when working in space, but he maintains good hand placement and is very active with them vs. counter moves. He has outstanding snap quickness, whether on the shotgun or in classic formation, and keeps his head on a swivel, taking proper angles when searching out second-level defenders.

Injury Report

2007: Left the Florida State game (10/11) with a knee sprain, but returned to the contest.

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Q & A

Growing up, who was your favorite NFL player and why?

Barry Sanders.

In college, what player hit you the hardest? Who was the recipient of your best hit?

Tank Tyler.

What TV-show marathon will keep you on the couch all day?

The King of Queens.

What are the five most-played songs in your iPod? What's the one song you hope nobody ever finds out is in your iPod?

Shane and Shane - Vision of You; Beg; Embracing Accusation. Casting Crows - East to West. Chris Brown - Kiss, Kiss. (Kelly Clarkson -- Joker).

What celebrity would play you in the movie version of your life and why?

Kevin James. He is funny and he is my favorite actor.

What is one thing your teammates don't know about you?

I enjoy singing.

What reality TV show would you like to be on and why?

I don't know. I don't watch reality TV.

What's your proudest moment in football? Proudest moment off the field?

Winning the ACC championship; Graduating.

When you play Madden, what team do you use? Do you put yourself on the team?

Denver Broncos and sometimes.

Who has been the biggest influence on your football career and how?

My father. He was my position coach and mentor.