TWITTER: @Merci380
TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Houston Texans in the first round (26th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.
COLLEGE:
Started 15 of 37 games at Illinois, recording 81 tackles (42 solo) with 18.0 sacks (119 yards), 28 tackles for loss (150 yards), 11 forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries
Tied for eighth in NCAA FBS history with 11 forced fumbles, which also ranks fifth on the Big Ten Conference all-time record chart and is second on the Illini all-time list (13 by Simeon Rice from 1992-95)
Set a school and Big Ten single-season record with nine forced fumbles in 2011
Tied Rice’s 1994 school record of 16.0 sacks in 2011
Third on the Illinois single-season tackle for loss chart with 22.5 in 2011
Earned 2011 All-America and All-Big Ten Conference first-team honors from The NFL Draft Report as the scouting service named him the league’s Player of the Year and National Defensive Lineman of the Year
Mid-season All-America from Phil Steele’s College Football and was selected National Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance vs. Indiana (3.0 sacks) his senior season
Led the nation in sacks per game (1.23) and fumbles forced per game (0.833) as a senior
Recorded a career-high 57 tackles (28 solo) with 16.0 sacks (105 yards) to tie the school season-record that was first set by Simeon Rice in 1994
Played in all 13 games, starting two games at weak-side defensive end his junior season
Recorded 16 tackles (eight solo) with a 7-yard sack and three tackles for loss (11 yards) in 2010
Recorded eight tackles (four solo), two assisted sacks (7 yards) and 3.5 tackles for loss (16 yards) in 2009
Redshirted as a freshman
TWITTER: @Merci380
TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Houston Texans in the first round (26th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.
COLLEGE:
Started 15 of 37 games at Illinois, recording 81 tackles (42 solo) with 18.0 sacks (119 yards), 28 tackles for loss (150 yards), 11 forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries
Tied for eighth in NCAA FBS history with 11 forced fumbles, which also ranks fifth on the Big Ten Conference all-time record chart and is second on the Illini all-time list (13 by Simeon Rice from 1992-95)
Set a school and Big Ten single-season record with nine forced fumbles in 2011
Tied Rice’s 1994 school record of 16.0 sacks in 2011
Third on the Illinois single-season tackle for loss chart with 22.5 in 2011
Earned 2011 All-America and All-Big Ten Conference first-team honors from The NFL Draft Report as the scouting service named him the league’s Player of the Year and National Defensive Lineman of the Year
Mid-season All-America from Phil Steele’s College Football and was selected National Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance vs. Indiana (3.0 sacks) his senior season
Led the nation in sacks per game (1.23) and fumbles forced per game (0.833) as a senior
Recorded a career-high 57 tackles (28 solo) with 16.0 sacks (105 yards) to tie the school season-record that was first set by Simeon Rice in 1994
Played in all 13 games, starting two games at weak-side defensive end his junior season
Recorded 16 tackles (eight solo) with a 7-yard sack and three tackles for loss (11 yards) in 2010
Recorded eight tackles (four solo), two assisted sacks (7 yards) and 3.5 tackles for loss (16 yards) in 2009
Redshirted as a freshman
PERSONAL:
Attended Garfield High School, played defensive end and tight end and earned Northeast Ohio Inland All-Star team, Cleveland Plain-Dealer Defensive All-Star team and All-District honors after leading the Rams to a 7-3 record in 2007
A Prep Star All-Region and All-Akron City League choice, he recorded 36 solo tackles with a pair of sacks, six stops behind the line of scrimmage and four fumble recoveries, advancing one 36 yards for a score that year
Community Health major
