John Engelberger John Albert Engelberger ( born October 18 , 1976 in Heidelberg , Germany ) is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent . He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft . He played college football at Virginia Tech . Engelberger has also played for the Denver Broncos . Early years . Engelberger lettered in football for two years at Robert E . Lee High School in Springfield , Va . , where he played tight end and linebacker . He caught 19 passes for 422 yards with four touchdowns while adding 94 tackles and three sacks as a linebacker as a senior . College career . Engelberger was a Second - team All - America and a First - team All - Big East Conference choice following a senior season at Virginia Tech that saw him record 53 tackles ( 32 solo ) and seven sacks . During his four years at Virginia Tech , the Hokies played in four bowl games , including an appearance in the National Championship Game . At the conclusion of his senior season , he was awarded the Paul Torgersen Award as the Hokie player who shows a commitment to hard work and great effort every time he takes the field . As a junior , he recorded 66 tackles and 7 . 5 sacks to garner a Second - team All - Big East selection . He was named the team ’ s outstanding defensive lineman after his junior campaign . He finished his sophomore season with 70 tackles ( 43 solo ) and six sacks en route to a Second - team All - Big East selection . As a freshman , he contributed 64 tackles ( 33 solo ) and six sacks . Engelberger started his collegiate career as a walk - on at Virginia Tech . Professional career . Pre - draft . A 6 - 4¼ , 260 - pound defensive end , Engelberger ran a 4 . 65 40 - yard dash , had a 34 " vertical leap and had a three - cone drill time of 6 . 95 seconds . San Francisco 49ers . Selected by San Francisco in the second round ( 35th overall ) of the 2000 NFL Draft , Engelberger played all 16 regular - season games ( 13 starts ) as a rookie . He recorded 28 tackles ( 20 solo ) , three sacks and a forced fumble . In 2001 Engelberger played 15 regular - season games ( 14 starts ) and set his career high with four forced fumbles . He also added 36 tackles ( 32 solo ) and four sacks to a defense that placed among the NFL ’ s top 10 against the run . The next season , 2002 , Engelberger played 15 regular - season games ( 0 starts ) and both postseason contests for San Francisco , compiling 12 tackles ( 11 solo ) and one special - teams stop . In 2003 he started all 16 regular - season games for San Francisco at defensive end , recording 35 tackles ( 25 solo ) while setting a then career high with 4 . 5 sacks . In 2004 Engelberger played 16 regular - season games ( 15 starts ) at left defensive end for San Francisco , recording career highs in tackles ( 64 ) and sacks while matching his personal best with four forced fumbles . Denver Broncos . Engelberger was acquired by the Broncos in a trade with San Francisco in exchange for cornerback Willie Middlebrooks on July 15 , 2005 . In his first season with the Broncos , Engelberger played 14 regular - season games ( 0 starts ) and contributed 24 tackles ( 17 solo ) as a part of the NFL ’ s second - best run defense ( 85 . 2 ypg ) . In 2006 he had 55 tackles , including a career - high 37 solo stops , one sack , four passes defensed , two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery . In 2007 Engelberger led the Broncos ’ defensive line with 59 tackles ( 40 solo ) , starting 15 of 16 games played and one sack , two pass breakups and one forced fumble . He earned the team ’ s nomination for the Ed Block Courage Award by starting its final 12 games despite suffering a fifth - degree separation of the AC joint in his right shoulder in Week 4 . Engelberger started the first six games of the season for the Broncos in 2008 . He finished second on the team among defensive linemen with 51 tackles . On February 16 , 2009 , the Broncos released Engelberger .