Dana Stubblefield is a former American football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for over a decade. He was born on November 14, 1970, in Cleves, Ohio, and attended Taylor High School in North Bend, Ohio. Stubblefield played college football at the University of Kansas, where he was a consensus All-American and won the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in the country in 1990.
Stubblefield was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft, and he quickly established himself as one of the best defensive linemen in the league. He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1993 after recording 10.5 sacks and helping the 49ers win Super Bowl XXIX. Stubblefield continued to play at a high level for the 49ers over the next few seasons, earning Pro Bowl honors in 1994 and 1995.
In 1998, Stubblefield signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the Washington Redskins, but he struggled to live up to expectations in his first season with the team. However, he bounced back in 1999, recording a career-high 15 sacks and earning his third Pro Bowl selection. Stubblefield played for the Redskins for three seasons before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2001.
Stubblefield played one more season with the 49ers before being released in 2002. He then signed with the Oakland Raiders, where he played his final season in 2003. Stubblefield finished his NFL career with 53.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions in 154 games.
After retiring from football, Stubblefield faced legal troubles when he was accused of sexually assaulting a disabled woman who had come to his home to interview for a babysitting job in 2015. He was convicted of the crime in 2018 and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Despite his legal troubles, Stubblefield remains a respected figure in the football community for his accomplishments on the field. He was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 and the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame in 2016.
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