SUMMARY - - Started 21 games over final two seasons, including all 13 games in 2011 . . . ranked third in Big Ten and 24th nationally in QB sacks (.6) in 2011 and was 10th in the conference in QB sacks (.9) . . . led team in tackles for loss (13.5-63) and QB sacks (9-53) for second straight season in 2011 . . . led team in tackles for loss (11-56) and QB sacks (4-31) in 2010 . . . one of four seniors named to 2011 Leadership Group.
2011 Honors - - Permanent Team Captain, Defense . . . Iron Hawk Award . . . selected to participate in Senior Bowl . . . second team all-Big Ten by league coaches and honorable mention by media . . . second team all-Big Ten by College Football Madness . . . third team all-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . honorable mention Defensive Lineman of the Week by College Football Performance Awards in win at Purdue.
2011 Preseason Honors - - Named to Pony Express Award preseason Watch List . . . named to CFPA preseason watch List for Defensive Lineman Trophy . . . honorable mention preseason All-America by Consensus Draft Services . . . third team preseason All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele's College Football . . .
2011 - - started all 13 games at defensive tackle . . . recorded 32 solo tackles and 353 assists while leading team in tackles for loss (13.5-63) and QB sacks (9-53) for second straight season . . . started at defensive tackle in 34-7 opening win over Tennessee Tech . . . recorded one solo tackle and four assists in opening win, including 1.5 tackles for loss and one QB sack . . . started at defensive tackle in triple-overtime loss at Iowa State . . . recorded six solo tackles and one assist at ISU, along with two QB pressures . . . started at defensive tackle in 31-27 win over Pittsburgh . . . recorded one solo tackle and two assists vs. Pitt, including a QB sack to stop a key possession in the fourth quarter . . . started at defensive tackle in 45-17 win over Louisiana-Monroe as defense allowed just 59 net rushing yards . . . recorded three tackles vs. ULM, including a shared QB sack . . . started at defensive tackle in 13-3 loss at Penn State . . . career-high eight tackles at Penn State, including two solo tackles, six assists and one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 41-31 win over Northwestern . . . recorded four solo tackles and three assists in win over Northwestern, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a QB pressure . . . started at defensive tackle in 45-24 win over Indiana, recording one solo stop and two assists . . . started at defensive tackle in 22-21 loss at Minnesota, recording two solo tackles and one assist . . . started at defensive tackle in 24-16 win over 13th-ranked Michigan, recording one solo tackle and one assist as defense allowed just 323 yards total offense . . . started at defensive tackle in 37-21 loss to Michigan State, recording one solo stop, two assists and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive tackle in 31-21 win at Purdue as offense allowed just 282 yards total offense . . . recorded seven solo tackles and two assists at Purdue for career high nine tackles, including five tackles for loss and three QB sacks . . . nine tackles at Purdue is career high . . . started at defensive tackle in 20-7 loss at Nebraska . . . matched career-high of nine tackles at Nebraska, recording two solo tackles and seven assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started at defensive tackle in 31-14 loss to Oklahoma in Insight Bowl . . . recorded four solo tackles and one assist vs. Oklahoma, including three tackles for loss (24 yards) and two QB sacks (18 yards), as defense allowed just 275 yards total offense.
2010 Honors - - Honorable mention all-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . co-Defensive Player of the Week in the Big Ten for his play in 45-0 win over Ball State . . . named national Defensve Lineman of the Week and national Defensive Player of the Week by College Football Performance Awards for his play vs. Ball State . . . Hustle Team Award, Defense . . . 2010 - - played in all 13 games, with eight starts . . . recorded 17 solo tackles and 23 assists, including 11 tackles for loss and four QB sacks . . . started at defensive tackle in 37-7 opening win over Eastern Illinois as defense allowed just 157 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and four assists in opening win, including 1.5 tackles for loss and one QB sack . . . started at defensive tackle in 35-7 win over Iowa State, recording four assisted tackles . . . saw action in 34-27 loss at Arizona . . . recorded career-high three solo tackles vs. Arizona, including two tackles for loss and one QB sack . . . saw action in 45-0 win over Ball State as defense allowed just 112 yards total offense . . . recorded career-best six tackles, including four solo stops and two assists . . . had four tackles for loss and one QB sack . . . started at defensive tackle in 24-3 win over Penn State as defense allowed just 54 net rushing yards and 301 yards total offense . . . recorded one assisted tackle for loss and a QB pressure vs. Penn State . . . saw action at defensive tackle in 38-28 win at Michigan, recording three solo tackles and two assists . . . saw action in 31-30 loss to Wisconsin, recording one solo tackle and two assists . . . started at defensive tackle in 37-6 win over fifth-ranked Michigan State as defense allowed just 31 net rushing yards and 258 yards total offense . . . recorded two solo stops and three assists vs. MSU, including two tackles for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 18-13 win at Indiana as defense allowed just 91 net rushing yards . . . recorded one tackle vs. Hoosiers, a QB sack that forced Indiana to kick a field goal . . . started at defensive tackle in 21-17 loss at Northwestern, recording two solo tackles, three assists and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive tackle in 20-17 loss to Ohio State, recording two assisted tackles . . . started at defensive tackle in 27-24 loss at Minnesota, but had no statistics . . . started at defensive tackle in 27-24 Insight Bowl win over 12th-ranked Missouri, but had no statistics.
2009 - - Saw action in all 13 games, recording 10 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss . . . saw action in 17-16 win over Northern Iowa, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 35-3 win at Iowa State as defense collected six turnovers, collecting one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 27-17 win over Arizona, but had no statistics as defense allowed jusst 105 passing yards and 253 yards total offense . . . saw action in 21-10 win at Penn State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 24-21 win over Arkansas State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 30-28 win over Michigan, recording one KO return for 10 yards . . . saw action in 20-10 win at Wisconsin, recording one solo stop and one assist, including a QB sack for minus six yards . . . saw action in 15-13 win at Michigan State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 42-24 win over Indiana as defense allowed just 79 net rushing yards, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 17-10 loss to Northwestern as defense allowed just 10 points and 239 yards total offense . . . recorded four assisted tackles vs. Wildcats, including a shared QB sack . . . saw action in 27-24 overtime loss at Ohio State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 12-0 win over Minnesota as defense allowed just 48 rushing yards and 201 yards total offense . . . recorded three assisted tackles vs. Gophers . . . saw action in 24-14 Orange Bowl win over Georgia Tech, but had no statistics as Iowa defense allowed just 155 yards total offense.
2008 - - Not listed on depth chart following spring practice . . . saw action in 46-3 opening win over Maine, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 83 passing yards and 220 yards total offense . . . saw action in 42-0 win over Florida International as defense allowed just 56 rushing yards and 218 yards total offense . . . recorded two solo tackles and one assist vs. FIU, including one QB sack . . . saw action in 17-5 win over Iowa State, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just 73 rushing yards . . . saw action in 21-20 loss at Pittsburgh, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 22-17 loss to Northwestern, but had no statistics . . . did not see action in 16-13 loss at Michigan State . . . saw action in 45-9 win at Indiana, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 95 rushing yards and 286 yards total offense . . . saw action in 38-16 win over Wisconsin, recording one solo tackle . . . did not see action in 27-24 loss at Illinois . . . did not see action in 24-23 win over third ranked Penn State . . . did not see action in 22-17 win over Purdue . . . saw action in 55-0 win at Minnesota, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just seven rushing yards and 134 yards total offense in posting second shutout of the season . . . did not see action in 31-10 Outback Bowl win over South Carolina.
2007 - - Redshirted.
High school honors - - First team all-conference as a senior . . . two-time team captain . . . Career - - recorded 222 career tackles, with 27 QB sacks . . . recorded 97 tackles and 12 QB sacks as a senior . . . had 84 tackles and nine sacks as a junior . . . recorded 41 tackles and six sacks as a sophomore . . . also played running back, rushing for 2,203 career yards while scoring 25 touchdowns . . . amassed 1,029 rushing yards with 12 TDs as a senior . . . had 844 rushing yards and seven touchdowns as a junior . . . also a three-year letterman in wrestling and earned one letter in track and field.
Personal - - Born 5/5/89 . . . sociology major . . . member of prep High Honor Roll . . . parents are Carlene and Michael Daniels . . . high school coach was Frank Plefka.