Hawk Item – – Earned undergraduate degree during spring semester of 2017 and graduate degree in 2018 . . . one of four juniors named to 2017 Leadership Group . . . one of six seniors named to 2018 Leadership Group.
2018 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten for fourth year . . . Forest Evashevski Scholastic Achievement Award . . . Big Ten Conference Sportsmanship Award recipient . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten by league media . . . Permanent Team Captain, defense . . . Hayden Fry Award, defense . . . Coaches Appreciation Award, defense . . . Iron Hawk Award . . .Team Hustle Award, defense . . . semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Award, presented by the National Football Foundation . . . named to AFCA Allstate Good Works Team preseason Watch List . . . preseason fourth-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . 2018 – – Ranked third on the team in tackles for loss (9.5-48) and sacks (4.0-27), and fourth in tackles (58) . . . started at defensive end in 33-7 win over Northern Illinois as defense allowed just 211 yards total offense . . . matched career-best with two sacks vs. NIU, along with two solo stops and two assists . . . started at defensive end in 13-3 win over Iowa State as defense allowed just 19 net rushing yards and 188 yards total offense . . . recorded one assisted tackle, along with one QB pressure and a pass break-up on a critical fourth down attempt . . . started at defensive end in 38-14 win over Northern Iowa as defense allowed just six net rushing yards and 222 yards total offense . . . recorded five assisted tackles vs. UNI . . . started at defensive end in 28-17 loss to #18 Wisconsin . . . equaled career-best with seven tackles vs. Badgers, including two solo stops and five assists . . . started at defensive end in 48-31 win at Minnesota as defense allowed just 86 net rushing yards . . . recorded one solo tackle and one assist at Minnesota, including a tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 42-16 win at Indiana as defense allowed just 67 net rushing yards . . . matched career-high with seven tackles at Indiana, including six solo stops and one assist, including two tackles for loss . . . started at defensive end in 23-0 win over Maryland as defense allowed just 39 offensive plays and 115 yards total offense . . . recorded five tackles vs. Maryland, including three solo stops and two assists . . . two tackles for loss vs. Maryland and one sack . . . started at defensive end in 30-24 loss at #17 Penn State . . . recorded four tackles at Penn State, including one solo stop and three assists, and one sack . . . started at defensive end in 38-36 loss at Purdue . . . recorded four tackles at Purdue, with two solo stops and two assists . . . started at defensive end in 14-10 loss to Northwestern . . . recorded five tackles vs. Northwestern, including two solo stops and three assists, along with two QB pressures . . . started at defensive end in 63-0 win at Illinois as defense allowed just 216 yards total offense . . . recorded five solo tackles at Illinois, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 31-28 win over Nebraska, recording three solo tackles . . . started at defensive end in 27-22 Outback Bowl win over #18 Mississippi State . . . six tackles vs. MSU, including two solo stops and four assists, with a shared tackle for loss.
2017 Honors – – Second-team CoSIDA Academic All-America . . . Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award . . . named to CoSIDA Academic All-America All-District team . . . Academic All-Big Ten for third year . . . Team Hustle Award, defense . . . 2017 – – Recorded 43 tackles, including 24 solo stops and 19 assists, with 10.5 tackles for loss and four sacks . . . also had one interception, three pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and one recovered fumble . . . started at defensive end in 24-3 win over Wyoming as defense allowed just 233 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo stop and two assists vs. Wyoming, along with one tackle for loss and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State . . . led team with career-best seven tackles at Iowa State, including five solo stops and two assists, with on tackle for loss and one QB pressure . . . fourth quarter interception and 13 yard return led to game-tying field goal . . . started at defensive end in 31-14 win over North Texas . . . recorded three solo tackles and one assist vs. North Texas, two tackles for loss, and one sack and forced fumble . . . started at defensive end in 21-19 loss to #4 Penn State . . . recorded three solo tackles vs. Penn State, including two tackles for loss . . . credited with one forced fumble and one pass break-up vs. PSU . . . started at tight end in 17-10 loss at Michigan State . . . recorded two assisted tackles vs. MSU, including a shared tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 45-16 win over Illinois, recording two assisted tackles . . . started at defensive end in 17-10 OT loss at Northwestern . . . four tackles at Northwestern, with two solo stops and two assists, including a shared tackle for loss and one sack . . . started at defensive end in 17-10 win over Minnesota as defense allowed just 281 yards total offense . . . recorded five tackles, including three solo tackles and two assists . . . recorded two tackles for loss and one sack vs. Minnesota . . . started at defensive end in 55-24 win over #3 Ohio State, recording one solo tackle . . . started at defensive end in 38-14 loss at #6 Wisconsin, recording three solo tackles and one assist . . . started at defensive end in 24-15 loss to Purdue, recording two assisted tackles and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 56-14 win at Nebraska as defense allowed 67 rushing yards and just 267 yards total offense . . . two tackles at Nebraska, including one solo tackle and one assist . . . one sack and one pass break-up at Nebraska . . . started at defensive end in 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College as defense allowed just 21 net rushing yards and 102 yards total offense in second half . . . recorded four tackles vs. Boston College, including two solo stops and two assists . . . recorded a shared tackle for loss, one sack, and one pass break-up . . . recovered fourth quarter fumble that led to game-winning touchdown.
2016 Honors – – Team Hustle Award, defense . . . Academic All-Big Ten (second year) . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten by Big Ten coaches and media . . . 2016 Preseason Honors – – Preseason fourth team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . 2016 – – Started all 12 games in which he played, missing one game due to injury . . . collected 37 tackles, including 18 solo stops and 19 assists . . . recorded eight tackles for loss, five sacks, three pass break-ups and one recovered and one forced fumble . . . started at defensive end in 45-21 win over Miami . . . recorded a 28-yard fumble return in the first quarter before leaving the game due to injury . . . did not see action in 42-3 win over Iowa State due to injury . . . started at defensive end in 23-21 loss to North Dakota State, recording two solo tackles and one pass break-up . . . started at defensive end in 14-7 win at Rutgers as defense allowed just one touchdown . . . set career-bests with 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks among his four tackles . . . started at defensive end in 38-31 loss to Northwestern . . . recorded five tackles vs. Northwestern, including three solo stops and two assists, with a shared tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 14-7 win at Minnesota as defense allowed just 102 net rushing yards and 268 yards total offense . . . recorded two solo tackles and two assists at Minnesota, with one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 49-35 win at Purdue as defense allowed just 47 net rushing yards . . . recorded three solo tackles and two assists at Purdue, with a shared sack and one pass break-up . . . started at defensive end in 17-9 loss to #10 Wisconsin, recording three assisted tackles and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 41-14 loss at #12 Penn State . . . recorded five tackles at PSU, including two solo stops and three assists, along with 1.5 tackles for loss . . . started at defensive end in 14-13 win over #2 Michigan as defense allowed just 201 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and one assist vs. Michigan, including a QB sack . . . also had a forced fumble and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 28-0 win at Illinois as defense allowed 61 rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . two tackles at Illinois, including one tackle for loss . . . started at weakside linebacker in 40-10 win over #15 Nebraska, recording one solo tackle and one assist as defense allowed just 90 net rushing yards and 217 yards total offense . . . started at defensive end in 30-3 Outback Bowl loss to Florida, recording two solo stops, one assist and one pass break-up.
2015 Honors – – Next Man In Award, defense . . . Academic All-Big Ten . . . Big Ten Conference All-Freshman team by BTN.com . . . named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week for his play in 28-20 win at Nebraska . . . 2015 – – Started eight games at defensive end and played in all 14 contests . . . recorded 44 tackles, including 24 solo stops and 20 assists, along with three tackles for loss, two QB sacks and an interception return for a touchdown . . . saw first action of career in 31-14 win over Illinois State, as defense allowed 35 net rushing yards and 231 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and one assist vs. Illinois State, including one tackle for loss and a QB sack . . . saw action in 31-17 win at Iowa State as defense allowed no points and just 66 yards total offense in the second half . . . recorded career-best three tackles at ISU, including two solo tackles and one assist . . . first career start at defensive end in 27-24 win over Pitt, recording one assisted tackle and one QB pressure as defense allowed just 55 net rushing yards and 282 yards total offense . . . saw action in 62-16 win over North Texas, recording career-best six tackles, including two solo stops and four assists . . . saw action in 10-6 win at Wisconsin, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed no touchdowns and just 320 yards total offense . . . saw action in 29-20 win over Illinois as defense allowed just 46 net rushing yards . . . recorded two solo tackles vs. Illinois, and also recovered fourth quarter fumble that led to final field goal . . . started at defensive end in 40-10 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . recorded one assisted tackle and first fumble recovery of career at Northwestern . . . started at defensive end in 31-15 win over Maryland . . . matched career-best with six tackles vs. Maryland, including four solo stops and two assists, along with one tackle for loss and a pass break-up . . . started at defensive end in 35-27 win at Indiana, recording four solo tackles and one assist . . . started at defensive end in 40-35 win over Minnesota, recording one assisted tackle . . . started at defensive end in 40-20 win over Purdue . . . recorded one solo tackle and three assists vs. Purdue, including one QB sack . . . started at defensive end in 28-20 win at Nebraska . . . matched career-high with six tackles at Nebraska, with three solo stops and three assists . . . also had first career interception and four-yard return for a touchdown . . . started at defensive end in 16-13 loss to Michigan State, recording three solo tackles and one assist . . . started at defensive end in 45-16 Rose Bowl loss to Stanford, recording two solo tackles and one pass break-up.
2014 – – Redshirted . . . moved from linebacker to defensive end late in the season.
High school honors – – First team all-state by Des Moines Register and Iowa Newspaper Association as a senior . . . second team all-state as a junior . . . named district MVP on offense as a senior . . . first team all-district in final three years as a prep . . . selected to participate in Iowa Shrine Game . . . Career – – Helped prep team post 21-5 mark his last two seasons, winning two playoff games as a junior and advancing to state title game as a senior . . . scored 334 career points on offense . . . recorded 59 tackles as a senior, with three sacks and two interceptions . . . completed 93-153 pass attempts for 1,439 yards and 16 touchdowns, while rushing 173 times for 1,273 yards and 23 touchdowns . . . averaged 40.6 yards per punt as a senior . . . recorded 74 tackles as a junior, with 12 tackles for loss, one sack and two interceptions . . . on offense rushed 121 times for 1,174 yards and 17 touchdowns, while completing 22-42 passes for 450 yards and four scores . . . recorded 71 tackles as a sophomore, with two sacks and one interception . . . completed 13-22 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing 41 times for 205 yards and four touchdowns . . . team captain as a senior . . . earned three letters in football while playing quarterback, running back, wide receiver and defensive end . . . four-year letterman in basketball, baseball and track . . . starter on baseball team that reached state tournament as a freshman . . . qualified for state track meet as a sophomore and junior.
Personal – – Born 5/26/95 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin . . . biology major . . . parents are Marcia and Perry Hesse . . . member of National Honor Society . . . high school coach was Chad Beerman.