In 2015, the Cleveland Browns, under head coach Mike Pettine wasn’t getting good tackling production from their linebacker crew. The following year, Hue Jackson replaced Pettine, and Ray Horton was installed as the defensive coordinator.
Browns GM John Dorsey then selected a tackling machine in Round 4 in the 2016 NFL draft named Joe Schobert out of Wisconsin, who signed a four-year deal.
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Schobert (6’-2”, 240 pounds) played sparingly during his rookie season. In the 2017 off-season, Horton was fired, and Gregg Williams was hired as the new DC. In addition, during training camp, Cleveland released the aging linebacker Paul Kruger, then traded LB Barkevious Mingo to the New England Patriots. This opened up the starting lineup because Schobert impressed in camp. Schobert was the Week 1 starter and finished that game with nine tackles.
That 2017 season, he started all 16 games and ended up with 144 total tackles, which tied for the lead in most tackles in the league. Schobert was named to the Pro Bowl.
In his third and fourth seasons with Cleveland, Schobert had 103 and 133 total tackles. In his four-year tenure with the Browns, he played in 61 NFL games with 49 starts, had 408 total tackles with 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 19 QB hits, 7 forced fumbles, 6 interceptions, 11 hurries, 3 knockdowns, and 22 pressures.
Schobert grew up in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and played baseball, football, basketball, and participated in track at Waukesha West High School. He was a basketball standout and was named All-Conference twice. He was also a two-time State Qualifier in the high jump in track. In football, he was a stud running back and also played some safety.
He won the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star Game dunk contest after a between-the-legs throw down. In Schobert’s junior year, his high school football squad won the WIAA Division-1 state title.
Despite having a great high school career in multiple sports, Schobert did not receive a single scholarship offer. In fact, the phone never rang with a college coach on the other line. Despite being an exceptional basketball player, he decided that, being just 6’-1” tall, his college opportunities might never happen in that sport, so he chose football as the direction he needed to follow. He planned to walk on at the University of North Dakota because he had a teammate headed there.
He met his future wife, Megan, in high school, and the couple married in 2018 and now have three children.
Instead, after showing his ability at the annual summer WFCA All-Star Game, Schobert walked on at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, which proved to be the best opportunity in more ways than first considered. He had a great football career and was selected by the Browns in the fourth-round of the 2016 NFL draft.
At Wisconsin, Schobert earned a scholarship and his accolades were: 2015 First-Team All-American, 2015 First-Team All-Big-10, Jack Lambert Trophy winner, named “Butkus Big-10 Linebacker of the Year,” and had a Senior Bowl invite.
Schobert became the sixth linebacker in NFL history to have at least two interceptions in consecutive games when he did so in Week 11 and Week 12 of 2019. The Browns transitioned their coaching staff plus their GM beginning in 2020, and Schobert, despite the obvious production, was not offered an extension or a new deal, which placed him in free agency.
He signed a five-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars for $53.75 million that included $21.50 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $12 million. The contract basically signified what Cleveland fans already knew: Schobert was a defensive force in the league, and the Browns should have kept him.
After playing for seven years, Schobert left the game and settled in Colorado. He and his wife opened a dance studio after building a house. The studio’s name is rather craftily called “Schotime Dance Center” and is located in Castle Rock, Colorado, located just south of Denver and straight north on I-25 from Colorado Springs.
For most of Schobert’s married life, it was discussed that after his NFL career came to a close, the couple would open a dance studio. Megan began dancing at age two. This became a large part of her life as she became a member of the dance team and later was a competitive dancer at Liberty Dance Center in their hometown of Waukesha. While Schobert played in the NFL, Megan kept her dance career alive by teaching at different dance studios as they relocated across the country.
Megan is one of six “Dancely” instructors documented by Clint Salter of the Dance Studio Owners Association (DSOA). After Schobert finished his NFL career, the couple moved to Colorado permanently and opened their studio on November 1, 2022. Megan’s patience paid off, and now it’s her turn to live out her dream.
Schobert’s tackling career:
Cleveland
2016: (28 total tackles) – 4 starts
2017: NFL ranking #1 (144) – 16 starts
2018: NFL ranking #35 (103) – 13 starts
2019: NFL ranking #10 (133) – 16 starts
Jacksonville
2020: NFL ranking #4 (141) – 16 starts
Pittsburgh
2021: NFL ranking #29 (112) – 15 starts
Schobert, now just age 32, also played briefly with the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans in 2022. For his career, he played in 99 NFL games with 81 starts and had 677 total tackles in seven seasons. What is remarkable is his 10 career interceptions as a middle linebacker.
Dawgs by Nature’s Barry Shuck was able to discuss with Schobert his time with the 1-15 and 0-16 Browns, what finally playing in a post-season game was like, and why open a dance studio?
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Shuck: You were a sensational running back at Waukesha West High School, and also played safety. How did you end up as a linebacker?
Schobert: When I got to college, it was kind of a progression. I played wide receiver for a couple of days, then moved me to safety. Then I started lifting some weights and gained muscle. That gained me about 15-20 pounds, and they moved me to linebacker. Just went from there. Was used to making tackles when I played safety.
Shuck: You also participated in baseball and track. What position did you play in baseball, and what were your events in track?
Schobert: I played center field, a little bit at catcher, sometimes at third base, and I pitched. In track, it was pretty much high jump. My best jump was 6’-6”.
Shuck: You were a two-time All-Conference selection in basketball. How did you decide whether to pursue football over basketball going forward into college?
Schobert: Well, first of all, I was only six feet, one-and-a-half inches. My basketball coach, Dave Schultz, had really good connections with scouts, and he asked me if I wanted him to reach out. We had just won a state championship in football, and I was riding a football high. I went to some camps, and football just seemed to offer more advantageous options.
Editor’s note: Coach Schultz spent 15 seasons at Waukesha West and compiled a 238-98 record. He was named “Coach of the Year” three times and inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2023.
Shuck: So, tell us the story of how you didn’t receive any college football offers and were headed to North Dakota to be a walk-on, yet ended up at Wisconsin as a walk-on.
Schobert: Back when I was a senior in high school, social media was just starting to pick up. Wisconsin is the only Division 1 school in the state. A lot of kids fly under the radar. There weren’t enough schools coming into the state to check kids out. Whereas now, it’s easy to get film and noticed. Back then, you had to mail hard copy film to coaches. That did not guarantee any coach actually watched it and tossed it aside instead. So, I had to walk on. I had a friend and teammate who was going to North Dakota, and so I felt comfortable going there. After my senior year in July, I played in a Wisconsin All-Star game. One of the coaches from that game reached out to his connections at Wisconsin, and they decided to give me an opportunity to play for them.
Shuck: How did going to the Senior Bowl and Combine help your draft status?
Schobert: The Senior Bowl is like a mini-Combine. The whole week, you’re talking to scouts and coaches, defensive coordinators and general managers from NFL organizations every single day. It’s good for a guy to get name recognition, and they get to talk to you to get to know who you are. And of course, being able to practice and play against other All-Star quality guys helps, especially if you can hold your own against some of the best athletes in the nation. That was helpful. The Combine is a week of torture. You are up to one or two A.M. talking to scouts and coaches. Then, one morning, they get you up at 4:00 A.M. for a drug test. Then another day, five or six A.M. for another test like the Wonderlic. You go to the hospital for six or eight hours for a healthy person like me, who never had any surgeries in college. The guys who have X-rays and MRIs are there even longer. And then on the last day, when you have been poked and prodded, is when you finally go do your drills. A lot of no sleeping. They want to see which guys can perform well under pressure and in stressful situations.
Shuck: Which NFL teams showed you the most interest?
Schobert: I developed a relationship with the Cowboys’ linebacker coach, Matt Eberflus, at the Senior Bowl, so I thought that might be a chance. Mike Vrabel when he was with the Houston Texans.
Shuck: In your senior year, you had 79 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and a whopping 19.5 tackles for loss. After a great season, you lasted to the fourth round. Were you expecting to go higher?
Schobert: I was told to expect the third or fourth round. I was picked with the first spot in the fourth round, so it was spot on. You always hope you can go higher. Kind of how the cookie crumbles.
Shuck: What was your first training camp like with the Browns?
Schobert: It is an eye-opener. It’s really long compared to college and high school. It’s six-plus weeks of 6:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. It’s a lot of practices and meetings. It’s really necessary to get the playbook down and work the system in order to make it second nature so that you can play in the games. It’s a lot about physicality and getting you ready for an NFL season. It was tough, but obviously worth it. Part of my rookie hazing was that Demario Davis gave all of us rookie linebackers clean white hats and told us that this represented a clean slate, but we were required to wear the hats everywhere. And I did. Everywhere. And then later, we were required to buy the room snacks.
Shuck: During training camp, Cleveland released LB Paul Kruger, then traded LB Barkevious Mingo to the New England Patriots. Both players were in your group. That opened the door for you to get a lot more playing time in your rookie season. In just your second game, you started against Baltimore. Tell us about the phone call to your dad, Randy, to tell him you were starting your first NFL game.
Schobert: I played some in the first game on defense and on special teams. But during the week, two players from our room were gone. I got the word that they were starting me. I called my dad and said, “Watch the game on Sunday because I will be playing a lot more.” It was kinda expected because of the moves in the room. There was talk about how we were a rebuilding team, and we were going to be the best team in the league in three years. There were a lot of young guys in the building, including me. We were going to be thrown into the fire to see who stuck. After three years, I was the only guy left from my draft class.
Shuck: Going into your second year, DC Ray Horton got fired, and Gregg Williams took his place. At the time, the Browns’ defense ranked #31. Gregg installed the 4-3 and names you the starter. What was the difference between the two coaching styles?
Schobert: I don’t think anyone is quite the same coaching style as Gregg Williams. He pretty much creates chaos in the meeting rooms and practices to see how guys will react to adversity and not crumble on Sundays. He is pedal to the metal, loud, and abrasive – all the time. Until Sunday, then he is the calmest coach you have. His coaching then is to make sure everybody is in the best position possible. But during the week, he is after your ass all the time. Horton was much more laid back, but wasn’t a soft-spoken guy. I ran into Gregg one time at Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant in Strongsville, and he was just chill.
Shuck: That year, 2017, Cleveland’s defense improved to a #14 ranking, and you tied for the league lead in total tackles with 144. Joe, it was only your second season. Was it something added to the Gatorade?
Schobert: I think playing off the ball as the MIKE linebacker was finally the right spot for me. I was up to 245 pounds, and that year I cut down to 225 pounds, and I was able to fly around really fast. I worked out quite a bit in the offseason and got stronger. I took the workouts and conditioning seriously and went to training camp in the best shape of my life. I was coachable and took the scheme and ran with it. As the MIKE, I had a lot of say regarding the call on the field and the schematics. So, I had to know and understand everything. I made a great leap in my understanding of how to play football and how to get myself in position before the snap. It was a good fit going from the SAM linebacker to the middle.
Shuck: You had now been in the NFL for a total of two seasons, and had to endure a 1-15 team followed by an 0-16 season. You won a state championship in high school. You never had a losing season at Wisconsin, going 11-3 in 2014 with a #13 ranking, won the West Division, and played for the Big-10 Championship. And yet, just two years into your pro career, one win in two seasons. How did you, as a player, show up every practice and game with that hanging over your head each week?
Schobert: That’s the tough part about it. You work all the time, and don’t see any results for it. Isn’t that the definition of insanity? We were in so many games and lost quite a few late or in overtime. Last-second field goals or any other way you can lose. And as a professional, you just have to keep working and doing the things that should help your team to win. So, you are putting good film out about yourself despite all the losses. Because, it is a business, and if you aren’t doing your job or have given up, the team will look for somebody else. Then other teams aren’t going to pick you up because you don’t have good film. You want to win for your teammates, and you want to win for your city.
Shuck: How did you find out you had made the Pro Bowl?
Schobert: One of our Browns media people had texted me once the voting was announced. I was sitting on my bed relaxing, and got a text that I was going to the Pro Bowl. And I was like, no way. Wow.
Shuck: Myles Garrett was drafted one year after you. What was he like as a rookie?
Schobert: Almost like every other rookie. He didn’t know the schematics of the NFL and the intricacies of the game. You could tell he was a freak as soon as he arrived and stepped into the room. I could tell he would go a long way as long as he could get it mentally right. He had his growing pains in his rookie year and sprained his ankle in training camp, which meant he didn’t get on the field right away. But as soon as he became healthy, you could tell he was a special player. He was pretty chill.
Shuck: What part of Northeast Ohio did you and Megan live in, and what were some of your favorite places to eat?
Schobert: We rented an apartment in Brunswick and then rented a house in Strongsville. We liked Samurai Hibachi and Sushi. Rosewood Bar and Grill was good. We loved going downtown Cleveland for food and bouncing around. Barrio Tacos was a favorite.
Shuck: So, you had over 100 tackles three year’s straight with the Browns, your rookie deal expires, and no extension. GM John Dorsey could have offered a deal during the season, but did not. Then, he was gone. The incoming GM, Andrew Berry, doesn’t sign you either. What conversations did you have with both GMs about getting a deal done to keep you in Cleveland?
Schobert: With Dorsey, we didn’t have any conversations. My agent reached out to chat, and Dorsey told him that he would get us something soon. Then never heard anything. And then he got fired. Andrew Berry came in, and he was like, they weren’t going to be able to offer me what the market value was going for me right then. So, they just didn’t offer anything. We asked him to offer something because you never know what I would take to stay. He never offered anything.
Shuck: The Jacksonville Jaguars signed you to a very good second contract in free agency. That deal demonstrated to the Browns where your talent value actually was. Your thoughts?
Schobert: I played really well in my second, third, and fourth years in Cleveland. The Jaguars’ contract showed the value I was bringing to the team. Especially not quitting on the team in the dogdays of 1-15 and 0-16 and still showing up every day to win games and be productive.
Shuck: In Jacksonville, you were ranked #4 in the league in total tackles that season, yet the team went 1-15-0. You basically went from one horrible team to another. Then they up and traded you after signing you to a huge deal the year before. What were the main issues with the Jaguars?
Schobert: I was signed by GM David Caldwell when Doug Marrone was the head coach. We were a really young team. The year before, they were 6-10 with Gardner Minshew at quarterback and seemed to be building a contender. And then injuries were everywhere. I was one of two guys who played every game. The D-line got decimated. The secondary was decimated. As the season went on, it was a revolving door of people at all positions. Not a great situation. The defense never hit its stride. It’s difficult to play games with guys who haven’t started, but the team was all banged up. Then Caldwell got fired during the season. The coaching staff left after the season was over. The new GM, Trent Baalke, came in and was looking for ways to change things and make the roster their own. So, they traded me to Pittsburgh. I don’t even think they told me a reason. Baalke did tell me he was trading me away to a contender. I didn’t pretend to understand. I thought I would go somewhere where they knew how to win games.
Shuck: You had good coverage skills. What was your technique for covering a tight end who was much taller than you and had more body weight?
Schobert: I was able to stay on their hip and make plays on the ball. Tight ends only run a certain number of routes. They either break at the line of scrimmage, break it five yards, or break it 10 yards. Once they don’t break it at the line or five yards, you can kinda guess which way they are going to go at 10. Yeah, they are all huge. Darren Waller was always tough to cover. I was fast enough to stay with every tight end in the league, and then get in a good position and be physical because that’s what they will do to you.
Shuck: The Jaguars traded you to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of course, that meant having to play the Browns twice a season. Leading up to that first game against Cleveland, what were your emotions?
Schobert: Once you play in the NFL, it’s just another game next week. Just go do your job. But it was very familiar driving around Cleveland on the team bus. It was like coming back to a comfortable area that I really enjoyed while I was there.
Shuck: With Pittsburgh, you finally got a taste of a playoff game. Describe knowing this was your first NFL playoff and a new experience.
Schobert: Yeah, it was different. It was in Kansas City, and it was just a different atmosphere. It’s a different energy and a different level of anticipation because you know it was more important. During the season, you knew you had another game next week. The atmosphere kinda permeated into the stadium. It was an exciting environment to be in, especially in Kansas City at night.
Shuck: So, I have a girl and was thinking of asking her to marry me, and thought I would do it in front of the fountain in the park across the street. It’s got three tiers that spray water streams. But then, my woman read where you proposed to Megan in front of the Eiffel Tower, and now that ruined it for me.
Schobert: That’s what we do. I like to travel, and my girlfriend, now wife, likes to travel, and there’s no better spot than Paris, right? It was difficult keeping it under wraps and a secret for as long as I did. I did a good job because she didn’t think I would take a ring over to Europe and get it over there. The element of surprise was nice. We got married after my Pro Bowl year in 2018.
Shuck: Megan was completely patient with waiting for your career playing a kid’s sport had run its course. Now, she owns the Schotime Dance Center in Colorado. Was she able to remain in the dance business while you played, and why Colorado?
Schobert: When I played for Cleveland, she worked at a studio called “DanceExcel” in Medina. She was a teacher there. By the time I was in Pittsburgh, we were already building a house in Colorado and making our final plans to open a dance studio nearby. We have been planning this since our days living in Strongsville. We wanted to settle in Colorado because I wanted to be near the mountains, do some hiking, skiing, fishing, and all that. The demographics of the Denver area seemed to be the best. There weren’t a lot of dance studios in Castle Rock, which had gone from 40,000 people in 2010 and now has over 80,000, and is one of the fastest growing areas. It’s booming at this time, so it seemed like a good place to start a business.
Shuck: What type of dance is taught, and what are the age ranges?
Schobert: All studio dancing: Ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical. You name it, and there’s a class for it. And it’s year-round for beginners and the more advanced. From 3-18 and then some adult hip hop classes.
Shuck: After football, you could have pursued several avenues. Why was it important for you to open this dance studio with your wife?
Schobert: That was my career playing in the NFL, and I didn’t want to get into anything related like coaching because of all the hours those guys have to put in. I wanted to rest and relax and do some fun stuff for a while. At the same time, this was her dream for a long time, and happy we finally got it started.
Shuck: Your high school retired your #23 jersey in 2018, which you wore in basketball and also football. Tell us about that phone call.
Schobert: That was cool. My high school coach, Steve Rux, called and told me they were planning on retiring my jersey. It was cool to be back and see the old coaching staff. It is a little reminder of my legacy to see that it is on display permanently. It can show the next generation that there is a path that has been done before. There are bumps in the road, just stick with it.
Shuck: What is your fondest moment of being a Cleveland Brown?
Schobert: One of them would be the Thursday Night win over the New York Jets. That was the Bud Light fridges. Baker came in after Tyrod Taylor got hurt and turned it around. I got an interception on the last drive to seal the game. And the one that probably would have been my choice for the best was when we beat Pittsburgh on Thursday Night. That was when Myles had his unfortunate incident with Mason Rudolph. My game was forgotten because I had two interceptions in that game, 10 tackles, and a sack. That should have been a really good night and weekend, but was mired by another event that just took over. I got overshadowed just a little bit.
Editor’s note: The Jets game was September 20, 2018. New York was winning 14-0, and the Browns came back on a 1-yard Carlos Hyde TD to win 21-17. The Steelers game was on November 14, 2019, a 21-7 Cleveland victory. Rudolph threw four picks in that game. Schobert’s stats were 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits, 1 sack, 4 batted passes, 1 knockdown, two pressures, 2 interceptions, and 0 missed tackles. The headline in every newspaper across the country did not mention Schobert whatsoever, but instead showed Rudolph and Garrett doing their helmet dance.