Hawk-Item – – Started all 13 games in 2010 and started 26 consecutive games as junior and senior . . . has identical twin brother, Kevin, who played senior season at Minnesota State in 2009 . . . one of seven seniors named to 2010 Leadership Group.
2010 Honors – – Second team all-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . second team all-Big Ten by Phil Steele’s College Football . . . selected to participate in East-West Shrine Game . . . Roy J. Carver Most Valuable Player, Defense . . . Permanent Team Captain, Defense . . . Iron Hawk Award . . . Hayden Fry ‘Extra Heartbeat’ Award . . . 2010 Preseason Honors – – Named to preseason Watch List for Outland Trophy . . . honorable mention preseason all-America by College Football Insiders . . . preseason first team all-Big Ten by Sports Illustrated . . . 2010 – – started all 13 games at defensive tackle, recording 29 solo tackles and 28 assists . . . led team in tackles for loss (13-67) and QB sacks (5.5-47) . . . ranked fifth in the Big Ten in both QB sacks and tackles for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 37-7 opening win over Eastern Illinois as defense allowed just 157 yards total offense . . . recorded three solo tackles and three assists in opening win, including 1.5 tackles for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 35-7 win over Iowa State . . . recorded one solo tackle and three assists vs. ISU, including one QB sack and two QB pressures . . . started at defensive tackle in 34-27 loss at Arizona, recording three solo tackles, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 45-0 win over Ball State, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just 112 yards total offense . . . 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 seven tackles vs. Penn State, including two tackles for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 38-28 win at Michigan . . . recorded four solo tackles and four assists at Michigan, including a shared tackle for loss and shared QB sack . . . forced fumble at Michigan stopped drive inside the Iowa 20 . . . started at defensive tackle in 31-30 loss to Wisconsin . . . collected two solo stops and four assists vs. Badgers, along with two pass break-ups . . . started at defensive tackle in 37-6 win over fifth-ranked Michigan State, recording one pass break-up as defense allowed just 31 net rushing yards and 258 yards total offense . . . started at defensive tackle in 18-13 win at Indiana as defense allowed just 91 net rushing yards . . . recorded four tackles vs. Hoosiers, including a shared tackle for loss and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive tackle in 21-17 loss at Northwestern . . . recorded career-high six solo tackles and one assist vs. Wildcats, including two QB sacks . . . also had two QB pressures . . . started at defensive tackle in 20-17 loss to Ohio State . . . recorded one solo tackle for a two-yard loss vs. OSU . . . started at defensive tackle in 27-24 loss at Minnesota . . . recorded five tackles at Minnesota, including 1.5 tackles for loss and one QB sack . . . started at defensive tackle in 27-24 Insight Bowl win over 12th-ranked Missouri . . . recorded five tackles in bowl win, including two tackles for loss and one QB sack.
2009 Honors – – First team all-Big Ten by Sporting News . . . honorable mention all-Big Ten by league coaches . . . Hustle Team Award, Defense . . . 2009 Pre-season Honors – – Named pre-season fourth team all-Big Ten by Phil Steele’s College Football . . . 2009 – – Started all 13 games at defensive tackle . . . recorded 22 solo stops and 43 assists, with 13 tackles for loss and four QB Sacks . . . also had five pass break-ups and two forced fumbles . . . started at defensive tackle in 17-16 win over Northern Iowa . . . recorded four tackles vs. UNI, including three solo stops and one assist, one QB sack, one QB pressure and a pass break-up . . . started at defensive tackle in 35-3 win at Iowa State as defense collected six turnovers . . . recorded three tackles at ISU, including one tackle for loss and second forced fumble of career . . . started at defensive tackle in 27-17 win over Arizona as defense allowed just 105 passing yards and 253 yards total offense . . . recorded five tackles vs. Arizona, including one QB sack and 1.5 tackles for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 21-10 win at Penn State . . . recorded one solo tackle and five assists, including two tackles for loss and a shared QB sack . . . recovered a fumble in fourth quarter to stop potential PSU scoring drive with Iowa clinging to an 11-10 lead . . . started at defensive tackle in 24-21 win over Arkansas State as defense allowed just 80 net rushing yards . . . recorded five tackles vs. ASU, including two solo stops and a tackle for loss, along with one QB pressure . . . started at defensive tackle in 30-28 win over Michigan . . . four tackles vs. Wolverines, including one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive tackle in 20-10 win at Wisconsin at defense allowed just 87 rushing yards and 243 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo stop and four assists vs. Badgers, including one tackle for loss, and also had one pass break-up . . . started at defensive tackle in 15-13 win at Michigan State as defense allowed just 85 net rushing yards . . . recorded one solo tackle and two assisted tackles at MSU . . . started at defensive tackle in 42-24 win over Indiana as defense allowed just 79 net rushing yards overall and just three points in the second half . . . recorded career-high 10 tackles vs. Hoosiers, including one solo stop and career-best nine assists . . . also had 1.5 tackles for loss and a shared QB sack . . . started at defensive tackle in 17-10 loss to Northwestern as defense allowed just 10 points and 239 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and three assists vs. Wildcats, along with career-best two pass break-ups . . . started at defensive tackle in 27-24 overtime loss at Ohio State . . . recorded six tackles at OSU, including career-best five solo stops, along with one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 12-0 win over Minnesota as defense allowed just 48 rushing yards and 201 yards total offense . . . recorded four tackles vs. Gophers, including one tackle for loss and a pass break-up . . . started at defensive tackle in 24-14 Orange Bowl win over Georgia Tech as defense allowed just 155 yards total offense . . . recorded six tackles vs. GA Tech, including two solo stops and four assists, including a solo QB sack.
2008 Honors – – Big Ten defensive Player of the Week vs. Florida International . . . 2008 – – Listed as second team defensive tackle following spring practice . . . saw action in 46-3 opening win over Maine as defense allowed just 83 passing yards and 220 yards total offense . . . recorded two assisted tackles vs. Maine . . . saw action in 42-0 win over Florida International as defense allowed just 56 rushing yards and 218 yards total offense . . . earned Big Ten defensive Player of the Week honors vs. FIU, recording two solo stops and seven assists, including two QB sacks and a forced fumble . . . saw action in 17-5 win over Iowa State, but was injured on the opening kickoff and did not return to action . . . did not see action in 21-20 loss at Pittsburgh due to injury . . . saw action in 22-17 loss to Northwestern, recording one solo tackle and one assist, including one tackle for loss . . . saw action in 16-13 loss at Michigan State as defense held second leading rusher in the nation to 91 net rushing yards, 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, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 27-24 loss at Illinois, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 60 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 24-23 win over third-ranked Penn State as defense allowed just 289 yards total offense. . . recorded one solo tackle vs. Penn State, a tackle for minus five yards to stop a Penn State drive inside the Iowa 10-yardline and force a field goal . . . saw action in 22-17 win over Purdue as defense allowed just 86 net rushing yards, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 55-0 win at Minnesota as defense allowed just seven rushing yards and 134 yards total offense in posting second shutout of the season . . . recorded one solo tackle for a loss of five yards at Minnesota . . . saw action in 31-10 Outback Bowl win over South Carolina, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 43 net rushing yards.
2007 – – Not listed on depth chart following spring practice . . . suffered foot injury during pre-season drills and did not play in first 10 games of the season . . . saw first action of career in win over Minnesota, recording one assisted tackle . . . did not see action in loss to Western Michigan.
2006 – – Redshirted.
High school honors – – First team all-state as a senior, honorable mention as a junior . . . Minnesota Vikings all-state team . . . LaCrosse Tribune Player of the Year . . . two-time first team all-conference . . . Player of the Year as a senior . . . two-time Winona Daily News all-Area team . . . Minnesota ‘Mr. Football’ finalist . . . Career – – recorded 77 tackles, 20 quarterback sacks, 30 quarterback hurries and three fumbles as a senior . . . also had 1,212 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns . . . had 89 tackles, 18 sacks and 22 quarterback hurries as a junior . . . recorded 15 sacks as a sophomore . . . team captain . . . three-year letterman in football and wrestling, two-year letterman in track . . . qualified for the state tournament in football, wrestling and track.
Personal – – Born 3/31/88 . . . Interdepartmental Studies (Recreation Management) major . . . parents are Mary and Dan Klug . . . high school coach was Carl Fruechte.
Career Bests
Tackles: 10, vs. Indiana, 10/31/09
Solos: 6, at Northwestern,11/13/10
Assists: 9, vs. Indiana, 10/31/09
TFL: 2, four times, last Northwestern, 11/13/10
QB Sacks: 2, twice, last vs. Northwestern, 11/13/10
PBU: 2, twice, last vs. Wisconsin, 10/23/10
Recovered Fumble:1, at Penn State, 9/26/09
Forced Fumble: 1, four times, last at. Michigan, 10/16/10
Career Statistics
| Defense | Solo | Ast. | Total | T/Loss | Sacks | QBH | In-Yd. | PBU | FF |
| Freshman | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sophomore | 6 | 11 | 17 | 5/19 | 2/8 | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 |
| Junior | 22 | 43 | 65 | 13/40 | 4/21 | 3 | 0-0 | 5 | 2 |
| Senior | 29 | 28 | 57 | 13/67 | 5.5/47 | 5 | 3-0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 57 | 83 | 140 | 31/126 | 9.5/76 | 8 | 3-0 | 4 | 1 |