Joel Bitonio Father

Joel Bitonio, a guard for the Cleveland Browns since 2014, was the #35 pick in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. In his debut season, he was named for the PFWA All-Rookie Team; from 2018 to 2023 consecutively, he was named for the Pro Bowl, and two times first-team All-Pro in 2021 and 2022.

Bitonio was born in San Pedro, California, on October 11, 1991, and went to Long Beach Wilson High School. Then, he participated in basketball and shot put as well, winning the 2009 CIF Southern Section Division 1 Prelims in the latter. From 2009 to 2013, he attended the University of Nevada, where he earned first-team All-MWC honors his senior year.

Who is Joel Bitonio's father?

Joel Bitonio’s parents are Debbie and the late Mike Bitonio. However, no professional or personal information is available about his mother, Debbie; his father, Mike, on the other hand, was a mixed martial artist who passed away in 2010, as per the official NFL website. After spending the afternoon working in the family garage, 45-year-old Mike passed unexpectedly. While in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, he had a severe heart attack. As a mere first-year student at Nevada, Joel was a two-star prospect who was not heavily pursued and spent every evening talking to his father over the phone.

Just before he was set to run on the field for a summer practice at the University of Nevada, Joel Bitonio saw that unfateful day that he was getting a call from his mother. He intended to give her a call later, so he let the call go to voicemail. His friend and teammate Guy Ryan Jr. urged him to phone his mother right away. Right there on the practice field, Bitonio picked up the phone and dialed, and his mother informed him, "Your father had a heart attack" and "He didn't make it." (via the official Cleveland Brown website)

Bitonio's favorite memories of his father are of the road trips they would take together when Joel was a 12-year-old basketball player. The two took long drives from their Long Beach, California, home to tournaments in Arizona and Nevada, laughing until their stomachs hurt. "That's the hardest part," said Bitonio. "I lost a best friend. It was more than a dad and a mentor." (via the official Cleveland Brown website)

Mike changed professional fighting when Joel was four years old. He doesn't remember much from that time, but he does remember that his father drove the family to Disney World after cashing his check as soon as he got off the airport. A few years later, while Joel was in middle school, he witnessed the infamous "Bart Vale fight" for the first time. During the breaks between jobs, when installing custom tile and carpet, Mike wanted Joel to know who he was and who his kid was meant to be.

Mike would consistently face the most challenging opponents when he flew to fights throughout the nation. Vale referred to this procedure as "railroading," since so many of the other well-known figures would not want Mike to overtake them. Prior to facing Vale, he had a perfect record in bare-knuckle fights. He was feared by many because of his reputation for never tapping out, as per the NFL website.