Where Are They Now? Andy Janovich
Andy Janovich: The Last of a Dying Position
What if I told you less than 2% of all college football players will ever see the NFL? Imagine trying to make it to the NFL as a fullback with today’s fast-paced, RPO-loving, shotgun formation-heavy offensives. The odds are even more stacked against you, however, not impossible as the focus of this edition of “Where Are They Now?” has come to prove.
Andy Janovich was born May 23, 1993, in Gretna, Nebraska, and grew up around 8 siblings, 5 of whom were brothers. All five brothers would compete in wrestling, and Andy would later follow in his older brothers’ footsteps. When Janovich hit high school, he would make headlines as a two-sport athlete. When it came to football, Janovich would make an impact on both sides of the ball. During his senior year, on offense, he averaged nearly 8 yards per carry and scored 18 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, Andy would lead Gretna in tackles with 112 and 8 tackles for loss. Janovich would be named to the first-team All-Nebraska Omaha World-Herald team and the Lincoln Journal Star’s Super State second-team. In wrestling, Janovich would be one of the best on the mats. In 2011, he would win the Class B, 189-pound title after finishing the year undefeated. The following year, he would move up to the Class B 220-pound class and go undefeated with a record of 46-0 and once again be crowned state champion. After the success of winning state, Janovich received a phone call from then head coach, Bo Pelini, and decided to walk on at Nebraska.
At Nebraska, during his freshman and sophomore years, Janovich would be a regular contributor as a rotational fullback and a part of special teams. In 2014, as a junior, Janovich would play in all 13 games, including starting against Iowa and USC. In 2015, Janovich would get the nod and become a key part of the offense. He would have a breakout game against Southern Mississippi, where he would rush for 68 yards and have a catch for 53 yards. Andy would go on to rush for 43 yards on 11 carries against Illinois, the most carries by a Nebraska fullback since 2001. However, it was the game against Wisconsin that would launch Janovich into the hearts of Cornhusker fans forever. In the 4th quarter, Janovich would bulldoze his way through the number one ranked defense in the country and score a 55-yard go-ahead touchdown, giving Nebraska a 21-20 lead. During this play, numerous Husker fans would say it was the loudest they have ever heard Memorial Stadium. For the rest of the season, Andy would continue to play a key role on offense and special teams. Off the field, Janovich would go on to receive many honors and awards, including the Tom Novak Award, Nebraska Lifter of the Year, and be listed on the Honorable Mention All-Big Ten team. Janovich’s performance and ability would not go unnoticed, as he would be one of four Nebraska players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. After a great performance at the combine, Janovich would find himself on the draft boards of multiple NFL teams, ultimately being drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 6th round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Upon arriving in the “Mile-High City,” Janovich would immediately challenge NFL veteran Juwan Thompson throughout training camp in 2016. This battle would continue throughout the season until Janovich was placed on injured reserve in late November. In 2017, he officially won the starting job after impressing then-head coach Vance Joseph, the younger brother of former Nebraska QB and interim head coach Mickey Joseph. While he may not have had flashy stats in 2017 and 2018, he played an important role on offense and special teams, doing everything you could ask a fullback to do. The Broncos would reward Janovich with a 3-year contract extension. During a game in week 11 of the 2019 season, Janovich would suffer a severe elbow injury and find himself once again on injured reserve and out for the season. Among everything that would happen in 2020, Andy would be traded from the Denver Broncos to the Cleveland Browns. Sadly, his time in Cleveland would be filled with him going on and off the injured reserve until he would be let go by the Browns. In 2022, Janovich would make one last attempt at the NFL with the Houston Texans, ultimately to be released that August.
After his release from the Texans, Andy and his family returned to Gretna, Nebraska. Once they got settled in, Andy would start his first business, Andy Janovich Roofing, and follow the family tradition of being in the trades. Andy Janovich Roofing has a service area currently of Gretna, Omaha, Bellevue, Papillon, Bennington, Fremont, Nebraska City, Blair, and the Lincoln areas. They offer free estimates and work on all types of roofing, gutters, siding, and windows. For more information, visit www.andyjanovichroofingne.com or call 402-513-0877. His second company is Quality Docks and Lifts. If you are looking at removing, replacing, or building a new dock, Quality Docks and Lifts is the company to do business with. They just recently launched, so reach out to them at 402-885-5106 for all your dock-related needs.
When Andy isn’t busy running two companies, he has embraced family life and enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, Ronnie and Bo. As he forges ahead, Andy Janovich’s story is a testament to his resilience and versatility, while also being a reminder to us all that it’s okay to get your hands dirty, either as a person working in the trades, as a fullback, or just your average Joe, and with a little hard work, we too, can beat the odds.
