42 games/28 starts
Regular starter in 2007 and 2008, moving to LDE in 2008 after the acquisition of Jared Allen at RDE...Led 2008 Vikings with 10 tackles for loss...Showed playmaking abilities in 2007 by tieing for team lead with 4 forced fumbles and scored 1st career TD on a 9-yard fumble recovery at Detroit (9/16/07)...His score was 1 of 8 defensive TDs for the Vikings in 2007 to lead the NFL...Has posted 5.0 of his career sacks and a TD against the Detroit Lions in 6 career meetings...Missed final 4 games of 2007 on NFL suspension...Made his presence felt as a rookie in 2006 with his pass rushing abilities and started 2 of the final 4 games…Played in more games (15) than any other rookie on the roster in 2006...Selected in the 4th round with the 127th pick (acquired from Indianapolis through Philadelphia) in the Artis Hicks trade.
2008 Made transition to LDE after Vikings acquired RDE Jared Allen in offseason trade...Started career-high 15 games and led team with 10 tackle for loss...Sidelined for Wild Card playoff game vs. Philadelphia (1/4/09) with knee injury suffered in regular-season finale vs. NY Giants (12/28)...Matched career-high with 5.0 sacks...Notched 1st career multi-sack game with 2.0 against Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan vs. Atlanta (12/21)...Helped Vikings rank #6 in total defense, a 14-place improvement from 2007 and the highest ranking since 1994...Part of Vikings unit that led NFL in rushing defense for the 3rd straight season, the 1st squad to accomplish the feat since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
2007 Tied for team high in sacks (5.0) and forced fumbles (4) in his 1st season as a full-time starter...Scored 1st career TD on 1st career fumble recovery at Detroit (9/16), taking a fumble by Lions QB J.T. O’Sullivan caused by DT Kevin Williams back 9 yards for a score...His TD was 1 of 8 by the Vikings defense during the season and 1 of 2 on fumble recoveries...Had season-best 1.5 sacks at Detroit (9/16)...Had sacks vs. San Diego (11/4), vs. Oakland (11/18) and vs. Detroit (12/2) while he shared one at Dallas (10/21)...Notched career-high 7 tackles in the opener vs. Atlanta (9/9)...Had career-high 5 QB hurries at Detroit (9/16).2006 Tied for 3rd on the team with 3.0 sacks...Started 2 of the final 4 games…Posted the 1st sack of his career when he brought down J.P. Losman at Buffalo (10/1)…Followed that up the next week with another sack when he caught Jon Kitna vs. Detroit (10/8)…Inactive for game vs. Green Bay (11/12)…Shared a sack of Matt Leinart vs. Arizona (11/26) with fellow rookie DE Jayme Mitchell and posted a career-high 4 QB hurries in the game…Started his 1st career game at Detroit (12/10)…Posted a career-high 3 tackles and shared a sack of Chad Pennington vs. NY Jets (12/17) with Mitchell…Started at Green Bay (12/21) and became the 1st Viking to block a FG since Eric Kelly (vs. N.Y. Giants, 11/10/02) when he blocked Dave Rayner’s attempt.
Finished his career tied for 7th on Purdue’s career sacks list with 16.0 and 15th with 24.5 tackles for loss…Played in 36 games with 18 starts during his three years with the Boilermakers…Named to Bronko Nagurski and Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year watch lists as a junior in 2005…Ranked 2nd on the team as a junior with 11.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks…Honorable mention All-Big Ten choice by coaches and the media in 2004…Semifinalist for Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award…Tied for team lead and tied for 2nd in the Big Ten with 8.0 sacks…A Big Ten All-Freshmen team choice by The Sporting News.
2005 Named to Bronko Nagurski and Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award watch lists…Played in 11 games with 6 starts and ranked 2nd on the team with 11.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks…Matched his career high with 2.5 tackles for loss and added a sack at Arizona…Recorded season-high 2.0 sacks and intercepted the first pass of his career at Indiana…Had a season-high 4 tackles on three occasions.
2004 Honorable mention All-Big Ten choice by coaches and the media…Started all 12 games…Semifinalist for Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award…Shared team lead with Rob Ninkovich and ranked tied for 2nd in the Big Ten with 8.0 sacks…His 8.0 sacks tied him for 11th on the school’s all-time single-season list…Tied for 9th in the Big Ten with 2 forced fumbles and was 2nd on the team with 11.0 tackles for loss…Had a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss vs. Syracuse…Posted career-high 5 tackles at Illinois and recovered a fumble to stop an Illini comeback attempt with 34 seconds remaining in the game…Posted a career-high 2.5 sacks, forced a fumble and equaled career-high with 5 tackles at Notre Dame…Matched his career-high for tackles with 5 at Northwestern, vs. Ohio State and vs. Arizona State in Sun Bowl…Also forced a fumble in Sun Bowl vs. the Sun Devils.
2003 Played in all 13 games as a reserve DE as a true freshman…Big Ten All-Freshman team choice by The Sporting News…Recorded 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery as he was used primarily in 3rd-down passing situations…Posted first career sack vs. Penn State…Recovered a fumble vs. Northwestern…Had a sack vs. Iowa…Registered a season-high 2 tackles at Wake Forest, vs. Arizona and vs. Penn State.
Mentors local students at Summitt Academy, working with them on classwork and social interaction...Active with kids literacy programs...Majored in physical education...Active in the community as a rookie, joining with LensCrafters and teammate Chris Kluwe to provide eye tests and glasses through the Give The Gift of Sight Program.