Hawk-Item – – Moved from defensive back to linebacker during 2007 spring practice . . . one of seven seniors named to 2010 Leadership Group.
2010 Honors – – Named to ESPN/CoSIDA District Seven Academic All-America team . . . academic all-Big Ten . . . Forest Evashevski Scholastic Achievement Award . . . Coaches Appreciation Award, Defense . . . 2010 – – hampered by injured throughout season, but returned to starting line-up for bowl win . . . recorded 47 tackles while seeing action in eight games . . . did not see action in 37-7 opening win over Eastern Illinois due to preseason injury . . . started at middle linebacker for first career start in 35-7 win over Iowa State . . . record career-best 11 tackles vs. Iowa State, including three solo stops and eight assists . . . started at middle linebacker in 34-27 loss at Arizona and had career-high in tackles for second straight week . . . 12 tackles vs. Arizona, including seven solo stops and a QB sack . . . also had first caused fumble of career, which led to Iowa’s first touchdown . . . started at middle linebacker in 45-0 win over Ball State as defense allowed just 112 yards total offense . . . led defense with nine tackles, including two solo stops and seven assists . . . also had 1.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback sack vs. Ball State . . . saw very limited action in 24-3 win over Penn State due to injury, and had no statistics . . . did not see action in 38-28 win at Michigan due to injury . . . did not see action in 31-30 loss to Wisconsin due to injury . . . returned to limited action in 37-6 win over fifth-ranked Michigan State, recording two solo tackles and one assist as defense allowed just 31 net rushing yards and 258 yards total offense . . . saw action in 18-13 win at Indiana, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just 91 net rushing yards . . . started at outside linebacker in 21-17 loss at Northwestern . . . recorded four solo tackles and four assists vs. Wildcats . . . did not see action in 20-17 loss to Ohio State due to injury . . . did not see action in 27-24 loss at Minnesota due to injury . . . started at outside linebacker in 27-24 Insight Bowl win over 12th-ranked Missouri, recording three solo tackles.
2009 Honors – – Academic all-Big Ten for third year . . . Coaches Appreciation Award, Special Teams . . . 2009 – – Saw action in 12 games, recording nine solo tackles and 11 assists, along with two pass break-ups and one recovered fumble . . . saw action in 17-16 win over Northern Iowa, collecting first fumble recovery of career . . . saw action in 35-3 win at Iowa State as defense collected six turnovers . . . recorded two assisted tackles and two pass break-ups at ISU . . . saw action in 27-17 win over Arizona, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 105 passing yards and 253 yards total offense . . . saw action in 21-10 win at Penn State, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 24-21 win over Arkansas State, recording three assisted tackles as defense allowed just 80 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 30-28 win over Michigan, recording one solo tackle and one assist . . . saw action in 20-10 win at Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 15-13 win at Michigan State, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 42-24 win over Indiana, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 79 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 17-10 loss to Northwestern, recording one solo tackle and one assist as defense allowed just 10 points and 239 yards total offense . . . saw action in 27-24 overtime loss at Ohio State, recording career-best three solo tackles and one assist . . . did not see action in 12-0 win over Minnesota due to injury . . . saw action in 24-14 Orange Bowl win over Georgia Tech as defense allowed just 155 yards total offense . . . matched career-high with three solo tackles vs. GA Tech, along with one assisted tackle.
2008 Honors – – Academic all-Big Ten . . . 2008 – – Listed as first team WILL linebacker following spring practice . . . did not see action in 46-3 opening win over Maine due to injury . . . did not see action in 42-0 win over Florida International due to injury . . . did not see action in 17-5 win over Iowa State due to injury . . . did not see action in 21-20 loss at Pittsburgh due to injury . . . saw first action of the season in 22-17 loss to Northwestern, recording four tackles, including two solo stops and two assists . . . saw action on special teams in 16-13 loss at Michigan State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 45-9 win at Indiana, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 95 rushing yards and 286 yards total offense . . . saw action in 38-16 win over Wisconsin . . . recorded five tackles vs. the Badgers, including two solo stops and three assists . . . saw action in 27-24 loss at Illinois, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 60 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 24-23 win over third-ranked Penn State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 22-17 win over Purdue, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 86 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 55-0 win at Minnesota, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just seven rushing yards and 134 yards total offense . . . saw action in 31-10 Outback Bowl win over South Carolina . . . recorded four tackles vs. South Carolina, including two solo stops and two assists.
2007 Honors – – Academic all-Big Ten . . . Next Man in Award, special teams . . . 2007 – – Not listed on depth chart following spring practice . . . not at full strength at the start of fall practice due to injury . . . did not see action in opening win over Northern Illinois . . . did not see action in home win over Syracuse . . . saw first action of career in loss at Iowa State, recording one solo tackle while seeing action on special teams . . . saw action on special teams in loss at Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action on special teams in loss to Indiana, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action on special teams in loss at Penn State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in win over 18th-ranked Illinois, but had no statistics . . . saw action in loss at Purdue, but had no statistics . . . saw action on special teams in double OT win over Michigan State, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in win at Northwestern, recording one solo tackle and two assists as defense allowed just three points, seven rushing yards and 124 yards total offense in the second half . . . saw action in win over Minnesota . . . recorded career-best six tackles vs. Minnesota, including two solo stops and four assists . . . saw action in loss to Western Michigan, recording one assisted tackle.
2006 – – Redshirted.
High school honors – – 2005 Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year . . . first team all-state and all-conference as a senior . . . honorable mention all-state as a sophomore and junior . . . second team all-conference as a junior . . . Career – – was an option quarterback in high school . . . rushed for 2,081 yards and 30 touchdowns on 254 attempts (8.19 average) . . . completed 13-of-29 passes for 401 yards and two touchdowns as a senior . . . rushed for 890 yards and completed 8-of-32 passes for 255 yards as a junior . . . led team to 2003 and 2005 state championships.
Personal – – Born 10/16/87 . . . Accounting major . . . member of prep Honor Roll . . . parents are Leslie and Jeff Tarpinian . . . attended same high school as DB Adam Shada and OL Seth Olsen . . . high school coach was Fred Petito.
Career Bests
Tackles: 12, at Arizona, 9/18/10
Solos: 7,at Arizona, 9/18/10
Assists: 8, Iowa State, 9/11/10
PBU: 2, at Iowa State, 9/12/09
Forced Fumble: 1 at Arizona, 9/18/10
Recovered Fumble: 1 vs. Northern Iowa, 9/05/09
Career Statistics
| Defense | Solo | Ast. | Total | T/Loss | Sacks | PBU | FF | RF |
| Freshman | 4 | 9 | 13 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sophomore | 10 | 7 | 17 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior | 9 | 11 | 20 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Senior | 21 | 26 | 46 | 2.5/13 | 2/12 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 44 | 53 | 97 | 2.5/13 | 2/12 | 2 | 1 | 1 |