He played college football at Purdue, and signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2004.
He was also a member of the Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Lions, Florida Tuskers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Virginia Destroyers.
After high school, Standeford attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana to play under head coach Joe Tiller.
One season later after becoming the conference career receptions leader, John's teammate, Taylor Stubblefield, set it as a new NCAA record with 325.
He was soon traded to the Indianapolis Colts, where he played for three seasons under head coach Tony Dungy, mainly on the practice squad.