Joe Vernon played for the Golden Hawks from 1998 to 2000. A wide receiver who primarily played on special teams, Vernon graduated with a BBA from Laurier before moving on to the University of Windsor, where he continued his football career and earned a doctorate.
In 2005, he earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Subsequently, he was an Adjunct Professor at that same institution, teaching applied legal analysis from 2011 to 2015.Â
From 2006 to 2023, Vernon was an Attorney, Senior Principal, and Resident Director at Miller Canfield, specializing in complex commercial litigation and representing clients in breach of contract cases, business tort, fraud, shareholder oppression, trademark, copyright trade secrets, and automotive supplier disputes.Â
In 2018, the Detroit Business Community honoured him by naming him to Crain’s Top 40 Under 40 list. In 2022, he was named a Weekly Leader in Law by the Michigan Legal Society.Â
For over a decade, he’s also been quite active in volunteering his time mentoring young adults.Â
In February of this year, he joined the Houston Texans of the NFL as a Special Advisor of Football Operations. In this role, Vernon works closely with the team’s General Manager to help manage all aspects of football operations.
