CAREER: Young, versatile linebacker who started the first eight games of 2008...has the ability to play both middle and outside linebacker, but settled in to the SAM linebacker position last season and is switching to WILL linebacker in 2009…finished second on the team in tackles with 66 stops in 2008…for his career, Diles has 72 tackles…made eight special teams tackles as a rookie.
2008 (Houston 8/8): Started the first eight games of the season before breaking his left tibia in practice…despite missing eight games, finished second on the team with 66 total tackles…also posted one sack, one forced fumble and his first-career interception…made his first-career start at outside linebacker at Pittsburgh (9/7)…recorded a game- and career-high 13 tackles, 11 solo…posted eight total tackles, five solo, at Tennessee (9/21)…forced a fumble in the first quarter when he hit Titans WR Justin McCareins…registered six total tackles, including five solo, at Jacksonville (9/28)… totaled nine tackles, six solo, vs. Indianapolis (10/5)…made the first interception of his career in the second quarter off of Colts QB Peyton Manning…recorded three solo tackles vs. Miami (10/12)…posted six tackles, including the first sack of his career, in the first quarter vs. Detroit (10/19)…led the team with 12 total tackles vs. Cincinnati (10/26)…led the team in tackles with nine, including five solo, at Minnesota (11/2)…was placed on injured reserve (11/6) after breaking his left tibia during non-contact drills in practice.
2007 (Houston 11/0): Saw action in 11 games as a rookie, mostly on special teams…received extended playing time at linebacker late in the year…finished the season third on the team with nine special teams tackles and tallied five tackles on defense…made his NFL debut vs. Indianapolis (9/23), seeing action on special teams…served as a game captain and earned his first action at linebacker, finishing with one solo tackle and one special teams stop, at Cleveland (11/25)…saw his most extensive action of the season at linebacker and finished with a three solo tackles vs. Jacksonville (12/30).
Appeared in all 24 games in his two seasons at Kansas State…was a two-time All-Big 12 honoree…started all 13 games during the 2006 season…collected 149 total tackles, including 13 for losses, for a rock-solid average of 6.2 stops per games…also forced three fumbles, notched two pass break-ups and had an interception…returned lone career fumble return for a touchdown at Missouri in 2006…selected to play in the inaugural Inta Juice All-Star Classic in Houston…began college career at Fresno City College, where he started 22 games over two seasons and led the team to a Valley Conference Title and a berth in the 2004 California North Division championship game as a sophomore.
Selected by the Houston Texans in the seventh round (218th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft…signed by Texans on July 19, 2007...placed on the reserve/injured list with a broken leg on Nov. 6, 2008.
Prepped at Tulare High School in California's central valley…in addition to football, he also lettered as a forward in basketball and as the right fielder on the baseball team…was active in the community at Kansas State, making regular hospital visits and reading to children…played the saxophone and piano as a child…born Zachary Lee Diles in Abilene, Texas.
