DOUBLETREE HOTEL - 16TH & DODGE STREETS

OMAHA, NE

2009 NOVAK TROPHY WINNER
(The Tom Novak trophy was established in 1950 and is presented to the Senior who “best exemplifies courage and determination despite all odds in the manner of Nebraska All-American center Tom Novak.)

2009 Game by Game (updated 12-14-09)
Florida Atlantic: Did not play. Arkansas State: Did not play. Virginia Tech: Started game at after moving to WILL linebacker during week of practice... recorded five stops, including four assists... added a tackle for loss. Louisiana-Lafayette: Made three solo tackles... added first solo sack of career with a five-yard loss. Missouri: Came off bench to record three tackles... also added first pass breakup of season. Texas Tech: Had best game of his career with personal-best 12 tackles, including eight solo stops as NU held TTU to 259 total yards... his 12 tackles were one more season total entering game... added four TFL to match his career total before this season... was part of 13 team TFL on the day. Iowa State: Game captain... recorded 12 tackles for second straight game to lead team... five stops were solos. Baylor: Made five tackles including four assists... despite not playing first two games of season, already set personal career high with 40 tackles on year. Oklahoma: Continued strong play with eight tackles, including five solo stops, while posting two TFLs for 18 yards... added second sack of the season with 13-yard stop... also posted an interception and 9-yard return. Kansas: Game captain... had six tackles (four assists) to tie for second on team... added first two quarterback hurries of the season. Kansas State: Aggressive play led to eight tackles, including six solo stops... added a sack for 9 yards lost... also forced a fumble, and had a pass breakup and quarterback hurry. Colorado: Led team with eight tackles, including four solo stops... added a quarterback hurry that resulted in a second-quarter INT by Dejon Gomes... at least eight tackles in five of last seven games. Texas: Had six tackles to rank fourth on team...posted two tackles for loss of six yards

2009 Outlook
Linebacker Phillip Dillard battled injuries throughout the 2008 campaign, but assisted in helping Nebraska make major defensive improvements. The 6-1, 240-pound Dillard is the most experienced linebacker at a position where a number of young players are expected to step forward this fall. Dillard battled for playing time throughout the spring at Mike linebacker and will enter fall camp as one of many contenders for a starting linebacker job this fall.

Dillard has 33 games of playing experience under his belt heading into 2009, including eight starts. The Oklahoma native has shown flashes of outstanding play throughout his career, but has had to work his way through a series of injuries. Dillard is on track to earn his undergraduate degree in sociology in December, and is one of 11 Husker seniors expected to complete their studies by the end of the fall semester.

Dillard started five of the first eight games before suffering his injury against Baylor. He made 38 tackles, including 28 in the first four games of the season while fully healthy. He added two tackles for loss and shared a sack against San Jose State. Dillard made four tackles in the opener against Western Michigan, then had eight stops against San Jose State. He had a career-high 11 tackles against Virginia Tech, and made four stops against Missouri before being injured. He was limited the following two games, then made four unassisted tackles against Baylor before suffering another injury.

Single-Game Bests:
Tackles-12 vs. Texas Tech, 2009
Solo Tackles-8 vs. Texas Tech, 2009
Tackles for Loss-4 vs. Texas Tech, 2009

2009 GUY CHAMBERLIN TROPHY WINNER
(The Guy Chamberlin trophy was inaugurated in 1967 in memory of the former UNL All-America football player and is presented to the Senior player who has shown by his play and contributions to the betterment of the University of Nebraska football squad that he has the qualities and dedication of Guy Chamberlin to the great Cornhusker tradition.)

2009 Game by Game (Updated 12-14-2009)

Florida Atlantic: Game captain... second on team with seven tackles, including team-best four solo... added one of team's four TFL... added a pass breakup... helped team limit FAU to 3.5 yards per carry (122 rushing yards). Arkansas State: Racked up five tackles, including three TFLs for 18 yards lost... added first sacks of season, collecting a solo and splitting one with linemate Jared Crick... added a QB hurry. Virginia Tech: Dominated the front line in another nationally televised game... led the team with eight tackles including 0.5 sack and one TFL... added a QB hurry and four PBU... the four pass breakups were an NU single-game record for defensive linemen (tackles or ends). Louisiana-Lafayette: Tied for team lead with six tackles... posted a TFL and added another pass breakup to tie the NU season and career position records for a defensive tackle. Missouri: Selected as a game captain... dominated the line of scrimmage and harassed MU quarterback Blaine Gabbert all night... finished third on team with six tackles, including five solo stops, while leading team with three QB hurries... added a forced fumble on first-quarter QB sack of Gabbert... also collected fourth-quarter interception that led to NU's go-ahead touchdown... also had a breakup earlier in the contest... led Blackshirt defense that allowed just 225 total yards, including 91 rushing yards (23 on last play of game). Texas Tech: Posted four solo tackles as NU held Red Raiders to just 25 yards rushing... had a pair of TFL for 10 yards as NU had 13 team TFL... added career-high four quarterback hurries, part of eight hurries on the day. Iowa State: Third on team with eight tackles, including six solo stops... added sack for six yards, giving him double-figure TFLs for second straight season... added three QB hurries to bring two-game total to seven... added two blocked kicks (PAT and FGA)... now has five career blocked kicks... helped Blackshirts hold ISU to 239 total yards. Baylor: Had five tackles including three solo stops... moved to third on NU career TFL list with three stops behind the line of scrimmage... added 17th career sack to move into seventh on NU career list... also had two QB hurries to move season team-leading total to 14. Oklahoma: Game captain... had four tackles, tying season low... disruptive force in backfield with game-high three quarterback hurries... also caused a pass breakup that turned into an interception... added a blocked a field goal, extending his  NU season and career records for blocks. Kansas: Had three tackles, including two solos... helped pressure KU quarterback by adding two of team's seven hurries. Kansas State: Quietly had season high with nine tackles, including four solo stops... added season-high tying 1.5 sacks for six yards lost... was fourth multiple-TFL game of season... also had two pass breakups to increase his own season (10) and career (15) record for lineman... added a QB hurry. Colorado: Third on team with five tackles, all solo... added two quarterback hurries, the seventh time in last eight games with multiple hurries... also had team's only TFL, a 17-yard sack in the third quarter... moved him within one TFL of second place on Nebraska career list. Texas: Came out with best game of career in Big 12 Championship, pushign him to earn a spot as Heisman Trophy finalist...had career-high-tying 12 tackles including 10 solo stops...added school-record tying seven TFL for 22 yards...also posted career-best 4.5 sacks for 21 yards lost, just 0.5 sack off teammate Jared Crick's school record...had moer sacks of QB Colt McCoy by himself than any whole team had agaisnt McCoy in his career...led team to 9.0 sacks and 15 team TFL on the night...added two quarterback hurries...numbers moved him to second all-time at Nebraska in career TFL (56) and fourth in sacks (24.0).

2009 Outlook

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (pronounced En-dom-ah-ken Soo) emerged as one of the Big 12’s most dominant defensive forces during his junior season and will anchor the Nebraska defense in 2009. The 6-4, 300-pound Suh possesses a rare combination of power and athleticism and regularly demonstrated the ability to control the line of scrimmage from his interior position.

He was among the leading reasons Nebraska fielded one of the nation’s most-improved defenses last fall. Suh led all Big 12 defensive linemen in tackles per game, and produced several critical game-changing plays in 2008.

Suh will enter his senior season as a leading contender for numerous honors and awards,

and he is likely to leave his name in a prominent position in the Cornhusker record book. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2008, the first Nebraska interior defensive lineman to earn first-team all-league honors since Steve Warren in 1999. Suh should be considered a strong contender for higher honors as a senior. He and returning defensive ends Pierre Allen and Barry Turner form the nucleus of what should be a strong front four.

Suh enters his senior year with 33 career tackles for loss–just five tackles for loss from the Nebraska career top 10 and within striking distance of second place on the list. He also has 12 career sacks, and could make a push for the top five on that chart.

Suh came to Nebraska from Portland, Ore., and was Nebraska’s first-ever scholarship signee from that state. He is expected to earn his degree in construction management this December, joining 10 other Husker seniors who are expected to complete their undergraduate work during the fall semester.

Honors and Awards

• ·     2009 All-America
• ·     2009 Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award and Nagurski Award Winner
• ·     2009 Lott Trophy Finalist
• ·     2008 First-Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press, Dallas Morning News, Kansas City Star, San Antonio News-Express)
• ·     2008 Second-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)
• ·     2008 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Kansas)
• ·     2008 Nebraska Defensive MVP
• ·     Nebraska Season Record for Interceptions by a Defensive Tackle (2)
• ·     Nebraska Season Record for Interception Returns for Touchdowns by a Defensive Tackle (2)
• ·     Nebraska Career Record for Interceptions by a Defensive Tackle (3)
• ·     2006 First-Team Freshman All-Big 12 (Sporting News)
• ·     Big 12 Commissioner’s Spring Academic Honor Roll (2009)

2009 CLETUS FISCHER NATIVE SON AWARD WINNER
(The Native Son is selected by the Coaches for the player who best exemplifies good work ethic, competitiveness, leadership, forthrightness, sense of humor, pride, loyalty and love of Nebraska.)

2009 Game by Game (updated 12-14-09)
Florida Atlantic: Game captain... earned second career INT with Huskers' first pick of the season... returned INT 18 yards... added five tackles and forced fumble. Arkansas State: Posted five tackles. Virginia Tech: Continued streak with third straight game with five tackles... added first TFL with eight-yard sack on last Hokie drive of game. Louisiana-Lafayette: Posted four tackles... added a fumble recovery that led to NU's third TD of the game. Missouri: Posted five tackles for the fourth time this season, including three solo stops. Texas Tech: Recorded four tackles, including two solo stops... helped NU hold the Red Raiders more than 200 total offense yards under their season average. Iowa State: Had four tackles, including two solo stops... added first pass breakup of the season. Baylor: Had four tackles... added second pass breakup of season as NU had 10 PBU in game. Oklahoma: Game captain... set career high with 12 tackles including nine solos... his tackle total tied team season high set a week earlier by Jared Crick... added three interceptions on the night, all in the second half... tied school record with the three picks, including last one that sealed the victory with 41 seconds left... three INTs were one more than his career total entering the game. Kansas: Had two solo stops but came up big with a fumble recovery (forced by Dejon Gomes) deep in Nebraska territory to stop a KU drive. Kansas State: Posted five tackles, with two solo stops. Colorado: Recorded team-best fifth interception of season... returned the pickoff 20 yards for NU's third TD of the day... was first career INT return for a score... five INTs this season is most by a Husker since 2004 (Daniel Bullocks, also five INT)... added four tackles, including two solo stops, along with a pass breakup. Texas: Recorded five tackles, including four solo stops...added second career sack with a 11-yard stop... was one of nine sacks on the game.

2009 Outlook
Safety Matt O’Hanlon emerged as a key player in the Nebraska secondary during his junior season and will once again compete for major playing time in 2009. The 5-11, 200-pound O’Hanlon started nine games last year and will enter fall camp as a front-runner for the starting free safety job along with fellow senior Rickey Thenarse.

A former walk-on, O’Hanlon had an outstanding spring practice in 2008, working his way into the regular rotation. He was rewarded by being placed on scholarship last September and went on to help the Husker defense rank among the nation’s most improved units. O’Hanlon first earned playing time as a key special teams performer and he continued in that role in 2008.

A native of Bellevue, Neb., O’Hanlon is expected to pick up his degree in history this August and play his senior season as a graduate student.

Honors & Awards

• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2006)
• Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2007)
• Four-Time Big 12 Commissioner's Spring Academic Honor Roll (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009)
• Two-Time Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Academic Honor Roll (2005, 2008)