Hawk Item – – Suffered season ending knee injury in 29-20 win over Illinois in sixth game of the season . . . tied for sixth in the Big Ten in QB sacks (7.5) in 2014 . . . one of 13 seniors named to 2015 Leadership Group . . . one of four sophomores named to 2013 Leadership Group . . . one of seven true freshmen to see action in 2012.
2015 Honors – – Permanent Team Captain, defense . . . “Extra Heartbeat” Award, defense . . . Academic All-Big Ten . . . Big Ten Conference Sportsmanship Award . . . named to CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 first team . . . 2015 Preseason Honors – – One of six players in West Division selected as Big Ten Players to Watch . . . named to Nagurski Award Preseason Watch List . . . preseason second team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele . . . 2015 – – Started at defensive end in 31-14 win over Illinois State as defense allowed 35 net rushing yards and 231 yards total offense . . . recorded three tackles vs. Illinois State, including two solo tackles and one assist, two QB sacks, a forced fumble and a QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 31-17 win at Iowa State, but left the game in the first quarter due to injury and had no statistics . . . saw limited action in 27-24 win over Pitt due to injury, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 55 net rushing yards and 282 yards total offense . . . started at defensive end in 62-16 win over North Texas . . . recorded two solo tackles vs. North Texas, including one QB sack, one forced fumble and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 10-6 win at Wisconsin as defense allowed no touchdowns and just 320 yards total offense . . . recorded two solo tackles and one assist at Wisconsin, matching career-best with 2.5 tackles for loss (including QB sack) . . . forced fumble on QB sack that was recovered by Iowa and led to field goal in the second quarter . . . started at defensive end in 29-20 win over Illinois as defense allowed just 46 net rushing yards . . . recorded two solo tackles and one assist vs. Illinois, including two tackles for loss and a QB sack, before leaving the game due to injury that will force him to miss the remainder of the season.
2014 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten for second straight year . . . second team All-Big Ten by league media . . . third team All-Big Ten by College Sports Madness . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches . . . Team Hustle Award, defense . . . named Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week in win over Ball State . . . named honorable mention CFPA Defensive Lineman of the Week in win over Ball State . . . 2014 – – Started all 13 games . . . recorded 57 tackles, including 26 solo stops and 31 assists . . . led team in tackles for loss (12-54), QB sacks (8-41) and QB pressures (seven) . . . also recorded two pass break-ups, one forced fumble and a 12-yard punt return for a touchdown . . . started at defensive end in 31-23 win over Northern Iowa . . . recorded four tackles vs. UNI, including one QB sack and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 17-13 win over Ball State as defense allowed just two field goals and 219 yards total offense . . . career-best 13 tackles vs. Ball State, including six solo tackles and seven assists . . . also had 2.5 tackles for loss and a QB sack, along with forcing a BSU fumble in the final minute of the game to seal the win . . . started at defensive end in 20-17 loss to Iowa State, recording one solo tackle, two assists and a pass break-up . . . started at defenisve end in 24-20 win at Pittsburgh at defense allowed just three points in the second half . . . recorded two solo tackles at Pitt, including a QB sack, and also collected two QB pressures . . . started at defensive end in 24-10 win at Purdue as defense allowed just 156 yards total offense . . . recorded four solo tackles at Purdue, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 45-29 win over Indiana . . . five tackles vs. Indiana, including two tackles for loss and 1.5 QB sacks, along with two QB pressures . . . started at defensive end in 38-31 loss at Maryland . . . recorded three tackles at Maryland, including two tackles for loss and 2.5 QB sacks . . . collected first career interception on first play of game at Maryland, which led to Iowa touchdown . . . started at defensive end in 48-7 win over Northwestern as defense allowed just 180 yards total offense . . . recorded six tackles vs. Northwestern, including two solo stops and four assists . . . also had one QB sack, one QB pressure and one pass break-up . . . started at defensive end in loss at Minnesota, recording two solo tackles and two assists . . . started at defensive end in 30-14 win at Illinois as defense allowed just 88 net rushing yards and 235 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and three assists at Illinois, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 26-24 loss to No. 14 Wisconsin . . . recorded three assisted tackles vs. Wisconsin, including a shared tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 37-34 overtime loss to Nebraska . . . recorded four tackles vs. Nebraska, including three solo tackles and one assist . . . also had first career punt return following deflection and scored on a 12-yard return . . . started at defensive end in TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Tennessee, recording one solo tackle and one assist.
2013 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten . . . 2013 – – played in all 13 games, with 12 starts at defensive end . . . recorded 50 tackles, including 22 solo stops and 28 assists . . . totals include 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 QB sacks, while also collecting one forced fumble and four QB pressures . . . started at defensive end in 30-27 opening loss to Northern Illinois . . . recorded seven tackles in first career start, including one solo stop and six assists, along with a shared tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 28-14 win over Missouri State, recording one solo tackle and one assist as defense allowed just 197 yards total offense . . . started at defensive end in 27-21 win at Iowa State, recording two solo tackles, two assists and two QB pressures as defense allowed just 59 net rushing yards . . . started at defensive end in 59-3 win over Western Michigan, recording two solo tackles and a forced fumble as defense allowed just 209 yards total offense . . . started at defensive end in 23-7 win at Minnesota, recording two assisted tackles, including a shared tackle for loss, as defense allowed just 165 yards total offense and 30 net rushing yards . . . started at defensive end in 26-14 loss to Michigan State, . . . recorded five tackles vs. MSU, including two solo tackles and three assists, along with one tackle for loss and two QB pressures . . . started at defensive end in 34-24 loss at Ohio State, recording two solo tackles and three assists . . . started at defensive end in 17-10 OT win over Northwestern . . . recorded career-best nine tackles vs. Northwestern, including four solo tackles and five assists, along with two tackles for loss and one QB sack . . . started at defensive end in 28-9 loss to Wisconsin, recording one solo tackle and one assist . . . started at defensive end in 38-14 win at Purdue as defense allowed just 53 net rushing yards . . . recorded three solo tackles and two assists at Purdue, including career-best 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 QB sacks . . . started at defensive end in 24-21 win over Michigan recording two solo tackles and one assist as defense allowed just 60 net rushing yards and 158 yards total offense . . . started at defensive end in 38-17 win at Nebraska as defense allowed just 89 net rushing yards . . . recorded four tackles at Nebraska, including two solo tackles and two assists . . . saw action in 21-14 Outback Bowl loss to LSU, but had no statistics.
2012 – – Did not see action in first seven games . . . played in final five games, recording one solo tackle, two assists and one pass break-up . . . saw first action of career in 28-17 loss at Northwestern, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 24-21 loss at Indiana, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 27-24 loss to Purdue, recording one assisted tackle and one pass break-up . . . saw action in 42-17 loss at Michigan, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 13-7 loss to Nebraska, but had no statistics.
High school honors – – Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior . . . named to Parade All-America team, the 21st Nebraska high school player to earn the distinction . . . earned first team all-state honors for three straight years after earning honorable mention recognition as a freshman . . . four-time first team all-district selection . . . Career – – helped prep team post 41-6 record over four years . . . team was state runner-up in 2009 and reached state semifinals in 2008 and 2010, before falling in quarterfinals in 2011 . . . holds school records for single season (211) and career tackles (626) . . . recorded 122 tackles as a senior, with two interceptions and two recovered fumbles . . . 52 receptions as a senior for 960 yards and 18 touchdowns, along with two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown . . . as a junior recorded 136 tackles and one interception, along with 31 receptions for 513 yards and eight touchdowns . . . school-record 211 tackles as a sophomore, with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries . . . 39 receptions for 480 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore . . . as a freshman had 15 receptions for 126 yards and 157 tackles . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . four-year football letterman while playing tight end, offensive line, quarterback, linebacker and defensive end . . . also earned four letters in basketball and track.
Personal – – Born 6/26/93 . . . health and human physiology major . . . named “Mr. Football” on Nebraska Academic All-State team . . . member of National Honor Society . . . parents are Sheree and Dan Ott . . . high school coach was Jeff Ashby.