CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Activated from Injured Reserve, 11/5/16; Placed on Injured Reserve, 9/5/16; Signed to a four-year contract, 5/9/16; Selected by the Saints in the first round (12th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
2017- Started all 16 regular season games in 2017, posting 26 tackles (16 solo), two sacks for loss of 13 yards, one interception, one pass defensed and one forced fumble. Opened both postseason contests and had ten tackles (seven solo) and a sack…Helped a scoring defense that went from 31st in the National Football League, allowing 28.4 ppg. in 2016, to surrendering only 20.4 ppg, in 2017, tenth in league…Had two assisted tackles vs. Detroit, Oct. 15…At Green Bay, Oct. 22, had three tackles (two solo) and one forced fumble…At Buffalo, Nov. 12, had two solo tackles, a 27-yard interception return, one pass defensed and a sack for five-yard loss...At Los Angeles Rams, Nov. 26, started at DE and had one solo tackle…Started at DT and posted two solo tackles vs. Carolina, Dec. 3…At Atlanta, Dec. 7, had four tackles (two solo)…Posted three tackles (two solo) vs. New York Jets, Dec. 17…Vs. Atlanta, Dec. 24, started at RDE and finished with four tackles (two solo) and a sack for eight-yard loss…Started at RDE to close out the regular season and had one solo tackle, at Tampa Bay, Dec. 31…In the Wild Card Playoff, vs. Carolina, 1/7/18, started at DT and posted five tackles (four solo)…Started at LDT and posted five tackles (three solo) and one sack for a ten-yard loss in NFC Divisional Playoff at Minnesota, 1/14/18. 2016- After missing the first eight weeks of the season with a fibula injury, activated from Injured Reserve, Nov. 5…Appearing in nine games, recorded 26 tackles (17 solo), four sacks for 32 yards lost and one forced fumble…Made his NFL debut at San Francisco, Nov. 6, posting two tackles (one solo)…Vs. Denver, Nov. 13, saw action on defense and recorded three solo tackles, including his first career sack, when he dropped Trevor Siemian…Recorded a career-high six tackles (four solo) at Carolina, Nov. 17... Vs. Los Angeles Rams, Nov. 27, recorded four tackles (two solo), one sack and one forced fumble…Saw action on defense and recorded three tackles (two solo), including one sack for a loss of three yards vs. Detroit, Dec.4…At Tampa Bay, Dec. 11, saw action on defense and recorded two tackles (one solo)…Recorded two solo tackles (one solo) at Arizona, Dec. 18…Vs. Tampa Bay, Dec.24, played on defense and recorded four tackles (three solo), including one sack for a ten-yard loss.
COLLEGE- Played in 46 total games along the defensive line at Louisville, producing 133 tackles (72 solo), 31.5 tackles for loss and 18 sacks during his collegiate career…A two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, racked up a career-high 58 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, six sacks, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery returned 46 yards for a touchdown as senior in 2015 and received second-team All-Conference honors…As junior in 2014, was a third-team All-ACC selection by both the conference’s coaches and media. Started all 13 contests and recorded 53 tackles (31 solo) and set career-highs with a club-best eight sacks and 13.5 stops for a loss and also added two interceptions, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery…As sophomore in 2013, played in ten contests and also started the Russell Athletic Bowl win vs. Miami (Fla.). Finished with 15 tackles (11 solo), four stops for loss, including three sacks and a forced fumble...As freshman in 2012, appeared in ten games with two starts, making seven tackles, one stop for loss and one sack. Had a sack for a loss of 11 yards in Sugar Bowl win over Florida…Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and kinesiology.
PERSONAL: Three-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com at Eastside (Covington, Ga.) HS... Recorded 50 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks as a senior in 2011...A two-time second-team All-State honoree…Had his high school jersey retired in the 2017 offseason when he returned to their end of 2016 season football banquet...Also played basketball and participated in the shotput in track…Born April 2, 1994.
