Herb Deromedi, head coach at Central Michigan, was quoted in saying, "in Joel you have one of the top defensive players we've ever seen in the Mid-American Conference. He ranks right up there with Jack Lambert and John Offerdahl."
Quick, tough and hard hitting, Smeenge was one of the nation's most impressive defensive ends in 1989. His 4.65 speed made him a dangerous pass rusher and explosive tackler. Smeenge was an All-MAC outside linebacker as a sophomore in 1987, and was selected as an all-conference defensive end the next two seasons. Smeenge led the conference with 20 tackles for a loss in 1988 and 18 in 1989.[citation needed]
Joel invested in some car dealerships and real estate developments which ultimately led to filing of both personal and business bankruptcies in 2010.[3]
