College: North Carolina State
Accolades:
As a junior, named First Team All-ACC, honorable mention All-American by Sports Illustrated
MVP of 2005 Meineke Car Care Bowl and N.C. State’s Most Valuable Linebacker while starting all 12 games
Posted career-highs in tackles (150, team-high), sacks (6), tackles for loss (21), forced fumbles (1), fumbles recovered (2) and quarterback pressures (9)
Went pro after junior year
Drafted:
Fourth round (116th overall) in 2006 by Tennessee Titans
NFL Stats:
2012: Finished with 112 total tackles, including 74 solo. Click here for complete stats
Recognition:
2012 & 2013 The NFL Top 100 Players
NFLPA – PULSE Award
2013 & 2014 Robert Porcher Man of the Year Award
2012 Grid Iron Great Award
2012 NFLPA Byron “Whizzer” White nominee
2011, 2012 & 2013 Detroit Lions Captain
2010 Tennessee Titans Captain
2012-13, 2013-14 Walter Payton Award
Wackiest Prank in Training Camp
My rookie year, training camp was at a college called Austin Peay. At, like, 4 in the morning, the veterans came around waking up all the rookies. They took us to Fort Campbell, a military base in Kentucky, and made us run about a mile or two miles, do basic training stuff. That caught us all off-guard.
Best QB I’ve Faced
Peyton Manning. He is a mastermind of the position, knows how to distinguish coverage and put the ball right in there.
Best Defensive Player I’ve Played With
Manny Lawson (LB, San Francisco). He is fast and quick but also powerful, a very athletic guy who can do anything he wants on the field.
My Biggest Hit
In the playoffs against the Chargers last year, they were at the goal line and LT jumped up over the pile. I jumped up and met him at the goal line in the air. He got the ball over the line when he fell over some linemen, but I really laid one on him.
Closest Friend in Football
Pat Thomas (LB, Kansas City). We grew up playing together since little league football. We went together through our careers, through high school, college and into the NFL.
Favorite Food: Jamaican
Favorite Movie
“Gladiator.” It shows courage and will, you need them to play football.
What’s in Your iPod?
Reggae, a little bit of rap.
Superstitions
Not really. I approach every game, every week the same way I did when I was 6. Study hard, go out there and play my game.
Best Qualities for a Person to Have
Being humble, not getting ahead of yourself, not changing because of what you got or what you’ve accomplished.
Charitable Endeavors: The Stephen Tulloch Foundation
My Hero Is:
My mom. She is a hard-working lady, she instilled in me how to be a hard worker, how not to let up, keep working hard and give back to people when you have stuff. She always said it comes back to you in different ways, and for the most part that has been true.
