Hawk-Item – – One of 11 true freshmen to see action in 2007 . . . moved from defensive end to tackle during 2009 fall practice.
2010 Honors – – Honorable mention all-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . Coaches Appreciation Award, Defense . . . selected to compete in 2011 Senior Bowl . . . 2010 Preseason Honors – – First team all-Big Ten by Sports Illustrated . . . 2010 – – started all 13 games at either tackle or end and started 39 straight games over last three seasons . . . started at defensive end in 37-7 opening win over Eastern Illinois as defense allowed just 157 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and one pass break-up in opening win . . . started at defensive end in 35-7 win over Iowa State, but played both end and tackle positions during the contest . . . recorded two assisted tackles and one pass break-up in win over ISU . . . started at defensive tackle in 34-27 loss at Arizona and played both end and tackle . . . recorded one solo stop and two assists, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 45-0 win over Ball State as defense allowed just 112 yards total offense . . . recorded two assisted tackles while playing both end and tackle vs. Ball State . . . started at defensive end in 24-3 win over Penn State as defense allowed just 54 net rushing yards and 301 yards total offense . . . recorded six tackles vs. Penn State, including three solo stops and one QB sack . . . started at defensive tackle in 38-28 win at Michigan, recording two solo tackles and two assists . . . started at defensive tackle in 31-30 loss to Wisconsin, recording two solo tackles and two assists, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 37-6 win over fifth-ranked Michigan State as defense allowed just 31 net rushing yards and 258 yards total offense . . . recorded two tackles and had a forced fumble vs. MSU . . . started at defensive end in 18-13 win at Indiana, recording two solo tackles and three assists as defense allowed just 91 net rushing yards . . . started at defensive end in 21-17 loss at Northwestern, matching career-high with four solo tackles . . . started at defensive end in 20-17 loss to Ohio State . . . recorded five tackles vs. OSU, including three solo stops and one QB sack . . . started at defensive tackle in 27-24 loss at Minnesota, recording one solo tackle and one assist . . . started at defensive end in 27-24 Insight Bowl win over 12th-ranked Missouri . . . recorded three solo stops in bowl win, including one QB sack.
2009 Honors – – Third team all-Big Ten by Phil Steele’s college Football . . . honorable mention all-Big Ten by league coaches . . . Hustle Team Award, Defense. 2009 – – Started all 13 games at defensive tackle and has started 26 straight games over last two seasons . . . totaled 18 solo tackles and 36 assists in 13 games, with nine tackles for loss and 5.5 QB sacks . . . started at defensive tackle in 17-16 win over Northern Iowa . . . matched career-high with six tackles vs. UNI, including two solo stops and four assists, and had one QB sack and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive tackle in 35-3 win at Iowa State as defense collected six turnovers . . . recorded two solo tackles and two assists at ISU . . . started at defensive tackle in 27-17 win over Arizona, recording one tackle and one QB pressure as defense allowed just 105 passing yards and 253 yards total offense . . . started at defensive tackle in 21-10 win at Penn State, recording two assisted tackles . . . started at defensive tackle in 24-21 win over Arkansas State as defense allowed just 80 net rushing yards . . . recorded two tackles and one QB pressure vs. ASU . . . started at defensive tackle in 30-28 win over Michigan . . . recorded career-high seven tackles vs. Wolverines, including two solo stops . . . also had a shared tackle for loss 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 tackle and one assist vs. Badgers . . . started at defensive tackle in 15-13 win at Michigan State as defense allowed just 85 net rushing yards . . . recorded five tackles vs. MSU, including four assists and one QB sack . . . 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 two assisted tackles and one QB pressure vs. Hoosiers . . . started at defensive tackle in 17-10 loss to Northwestern as defense allowed just 10 points and 239 yards total offense . . . matched career-best with seven tackles vs. Wildcats, including four solo stops, two tackles for loss and one QB sack . . . started at defensive tackle in 27-24 overtime loss at Ohio State . . . recorded four tackles at OSU, including two tackles for loss and one QB sack . . . started at defensive tackle in 12-0 win over Minnesota as defense allowed just 48 rushing yards and 201 yards total offense . . . recorded career-high nine tackles vs. Gophers, including 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 QB sacks . . . started at defensive tackle in 24-14 Orange Bowl win over Georgia Tech as defense allowed just 155 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo stop and two assists in Orange Bowl win.
2008 – – Recorded 40 tackles on the season, including 14 solo stops and 26 assists . . . listed as first team defensive end following spring practice . . . started at defensive end in 46-3 opening win over Maine as defense allowed just 83 passing yards and 220 yards total offense . . . recorded four assists vs. Maine, including one assist on a QB sack . . . started at defensive end in 42-0 win over Florida International, recording two assisted tackles as defense allowed just 56 rushing yards and 218 yards total offense . . . started at defensive end in 17-5 win over Iowa State, recording one QB pressure as defense allowed just 73 rushing yards . . . started at defensive end in 21-20 loss at Pittsburgh, recording four tackles, one pass break-up and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 22-17 loss to Northwestern . . . had four assisted tackles vs. Northwestern and blocked a Wildcat field goal attempt in the first half . . . started at defensive end in 16-13 loss at Michigan State as defense held second leading rusher in the nation to 91 net rushing yards . . . matched career-best with five tackles at MSU, all assisted tackles . . . started at defensive end in 45-9 win at Indiana as defense allowed just 95 rushing yards and 286 yards total offense . . . recorded two solo tackles vs. the Hoosiers, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 38-16 win over Wisconsin . . . recorded career-best six tackles vs. the Badgers, including two solo stops, one QB sack and a QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 27-24 loss at Illinois as defense allowed just 60 net rushing yards . . . recorded one solo tackle, one assist and one QB pressure at Illinois . . . started at defensive end in 24-23 win over third-ranked Penn State as defense allowed just 289 yards total offense . . . recorded two assisted tackles and one QB pressure vs. Penn State . . . started at defensive end in 22-17 win over Purdue as defense allowed just 86 net rushing yards . . . matched career-high with six tackles, including three solo stops and three assists, vs. Purdue, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 55-0 wn over Minnesota, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just seven rushing yards and 134 yards total offense while posting second shutout of the season . . . started at defensive end in 31-10 Outback Bowl win over South Carolina as defense allowed just 43 net rushing yards . . . recorded two solo tackles and one caused fumble vs. South Carolina.
2007 – – Did not see action in opening win over Northern Illinois . . . saw first career action in win over Syracuse as defense allowed just 24 rushing yards and 103 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and four assists vs. Syracuse, including 1.5 tackles for loss . . . did not see action in loss at Iowa State . . . saw action on special teams in loss at Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in loss to Indiana, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action 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, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in double OT win over Michigan State, recording one solo tackle and one kickoff return for 19 yards . . . saw action in win at Northwestern as defense held Wildcats to three points, seven rushing yards and 124 yards total offense in second half . . . recorded five tackles at Northwestern, including two solo stops and 2.5 QB sacks . . . saw action in win over Minnesota, recording two assisted tackles . . . saw action in loss to Western Michigan, but had no defensive statistics . . . had one kickoff return for 13 yards vs. Western Michigan.
High school honors – – 2006 Preseason Prep Star all-American . . . first team all-state and all-conference as a senior . . . honorable mention all-conference as a junior and sophomore . . . Career – – caught 50 passes for 558 yards and six touchdowns in his career . . . had 23 receptions for 287 yards and five touchdowns as a senior . . . led prep team to an 11-1 record and an undefeated conference mark as a senior . . . team captain . . . also earned two letters in basketball and four letters in track and field.
Personal – – Born 1/3/89 . . . Art major . . . parents are Denise and Casey Ballard . . . high school coach was Bob Lisher.
Career Bests
Tackles:9 vs. Minnesota, 11/21/09
Solos: 4, twice, last at Northwestern, 11/13/10
Assists:8 vs. Minnesota, 11/21/09
TFL: 2.5, twice, last vs. Minnesota, 11/21/09
Sacks: 2.5 at Northwestern, 11/3/07
PBU: 1, three times, last vs. IA State, 9/11/10
BLK FG: 1 vs. Northwestern, 9/27/08
FF: 1 vs. South Carolina, 1/01/09
Career Statistics
| Defense | Solo | Ast. | Total | T/Loss | Sacks | PBU | QBH | FF | Blk |
| Freshman | 5 | 10 | 15 | 4/25 | 2.5/23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sophomore | 14 | 26 | 40 | 3.5/18 | 1.5/13 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Junior | 18 | 36 | 54 | 9/35 | 5.5/27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Senior | 23 | 20 | 43 | 5/23 | 3/19 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 60 | 92 | 152 | 21.5/101 | 12.5/82 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 1 |