Larry English Official Website

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It is very hard to believe, but Larry English is just a rookie in the NFL this year.  Just one year ago, English was honing his skills at Northern Illinois University and readying for the draft combine.  Lets take a look back at Englishs football career at Northern Illinois.

Englishs collegiate career was off to an inauspicious start in 2004, when he suffered a season-ending injury in his very first game.  Before the injury, however, he recorded four tackles and showing flashes of the brilliance to come.  English ultimately was granted a medical red shirt and a chance at a fresh start the next year.

 

In 2005, English started nine of eleven games for the Huskies, recording 78 total tackles and one sack.  In a game against Tennessee Tech, arguably his best of the season, English posted seven tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.

 

In 2006, English was a first team All-MAC selection in just his second full season.  That year, English started all 13 games and tied a school record with 12 sacks. He also recorded 51 total tackles, 12 sacks, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.  Englishs best game of the year was came against Temple, where he rang up nine total tackles -- 5.5 of them for a loss -- forced and recovered a fumble, and recorded 4.5 sacks, good for a school record. As you can see, there was no sophomore slump for English.  

 

As if his gaudy numbers in 2006 werent enough, Englishs 2007 junior campaign served as quite the encore.  On the year, English totaled 67 tackles, 10.5 sacks and one forced fumble and fumble recovery.  He also had to make room in his trophy case, adding the MACs Vern Smith Leadership Award, a MAC West Defensive Player of the Week Award and the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week award.  He was named to his second consecutive first team ALL-MAC selection.  

 

And in his senior year, English really went out in style.  He had 37 total tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 13 games. English was named leagues Defensive Player of the Year by the MAC News Media Association, earned his second consecutive MACs Vern Smith Leadership Award and his third straight first team All-MAC selection.  He was the first player at Northern Illinois to win the Vern Smith Award twice and one of two players to earn three straight first team selections.  

 

Larry English had an illustrious football career at Northern Illinois and now you can see why the San Diego Chargers choose him in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft.  English had a great resume at Northern Illinois, and will continue to mature into a great NFL linebacker.