This year’s football honoree was also a three-year letterwinner in basketball for the Howland Tigers, earning six total letters scholastically.
Born May 6, 1991, he played linebacker and tight end primarily for HHS under head coach Dick Angle, helping the Tigers to a 24-9 – they went 18-4 from 2007-08 with a perfect 11-0 his junior campaign – overall mark during his three varsity seasons.
A 2009 Howland graduate, he recorded a school-record 147 tackles, six interceptions and eight sacks his senior season, also adding 28 receptions for 423 yards and seven TD’s on offense.
He was nominated for the Old Spice Red Zone “Player of the Year” award and was also a local Big “22” player honoree.
Local School Ranks in top 50 in Ohio According to Latest US News Report(Opens in a new browser tab)
Ranked as the eighth best outside linebacker in Ohio by Rivals.com, he was also tabbed as the 110th-best outside linebacker nationally by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc.
He was named all-State, All-Northeast Ohio, all-County and all-Conference as a senior and served as a team captain.
A member of Howland High’s Honor Roll, National Honor Society and Student Senate, in basketball he was also a team captain, his leadership ability most evident during those formative high school years.
Upon graduation, he accepted a scholarship to Northwestern University where he played for the Wildcats and head coach Pat Fitzgerald from 2009-13.
He did not see action as a true freshman in 2009 – the team went 8-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten with a 38-35 loss to Auburn in the Outback Bowl – but in 2010, he played in all 13 games recording 12 tackles with 3.0 TFL’s.
The team went 7-6 in 13 games played, finished 3-5 in the league and during the inaugural Ticket City Bowl, a 45-38 loss to Texas Tech, he posted two tackles and fielded one kick-off on special teams, returning it 16 yards.
In 2011, the team posted a 6-7 mark and 3-5 conference ledger, dropping a hard-fought 33-22 decision to Texas A&M in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas. He was one of NU’s most consistent performers on the defensive line, playing in 11 games with six starts.
He finished with 31 tackles and was ranked second in Big Ten with three fumble recoveries.
During his red-shirt junior campaign in 2012, the Wildcats posted a 10-3 mark with a 5-3 Big Ten Conference ledger, defeating Mississippi State, 34-20 in the Gator Bowl.
He started all 13 games at defensive end and was tabbed honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches and media. Selected team “Most Valuable Player” and NU’s defensive MVP at the end of the season, he posted a team-leading nine sacks, which ranked him second in the Big Ten.
He was a member of NU’s 12-player Leadership Council and a Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar (3.7 GPA or above), also earning Academic All-Big Ten laurels.
In 2013, his final collegiate season, he served as team co-captain, was team MVP and a second-team All-Big Ten selection. He was also the recipient of the team’s prestigious Bryan Paynter “Ultimate Wildcat” award while ESPN.com and Phil Steele’s football publication named him a mid-season All-Big Ten first-team honoree.
The team posted a 5-7 mark and went 1-7 in the Big Ten but missed the post-season for the first time in his collegiate career. He started all 12 games at defensive end, led team with six sacks and registered 10 tackles for loss.
At the time of his graduation, he ranked sixth all-time in Northwestern University grid history with 16.0 career sacks.
In the pre-season, he was named to the watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski, Rotary Lombardi and Ted Hendricks Awards.
Overall, he played in 49 games for the Wildcats, had 132 total tackles (85 solo, 47 assists) 29 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, three interceptions (34 yards) and recorded five forced fumbles.
He graduated in December of 2013 with a degree in Learning and Organizational Change from SESP.
Upon his graduation, CBSsports.com ranked him as 47th among 2014 defensive ends while ESPN placed him 53rd.
In the 2014 NFL training camp, he spent time with the Minnesota Vikings.
