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Football
2002:Named to 2002 Coaches All-SEC first team defense ... Appeared in 10-of-13 games ... Started the season's last nine games at "Mike" linebacker ... Missed season's first two games against UL-Monroe (8/31) and Memphis (9/7) due to ankle injury suffered during a preseason scrimmage ... Earned his fourth letter ... 63 stops (37 solo), including 8.0 TFLs (-35 yards) and 2.5 QB sacks (-23 yards) ... Also had five pass deflections and two QB pressures ... Recovered a team-high three fumbles ... Was selected as one of four permanent team captains for the 2002 season ... Enters the bowl game needing four tackles to reach 300 for his career ... at Texas Tech (9/14): Saw first action of the season ... Recorded one solo tackle and one QB pressure ... vs. Vanderbilt (9/21): Did not play as he was still bothered by the ankle injury ... vs. Florida (10/5): Credited with seven stops (five solo), including 2.5 TFLs for -16 yards and one QB sack for -13 yards ... Dropped Gator QB Rex Grossman for a 13-yard sack on a 4th-and-13 play at the Ole Miss 31 to end a potential Florida scoring drive with 6:04 left in the game and Ole Miss leading 17-14 ... at Alabama (10/19): Had four stops (two solo) and a fumble recovery ... vs. Auburn (11/2): Credited with six hits (four solo), a QB sack (-8 yards), one fumble recovery and one pass deflection ... Named the Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week ... at Georgia (11/9): Registered seven stops (four solo), including one TFL (-1 yard) ... at LSU (11/23): Had a season-high 13 tackles (eight solo), including 1.0 TFL (-4 yards) and a 0.5 sack (-2 yard) ... Also had one QB pressure and recovered a fumble ... Selected as the Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week ... vs. Mississippi State (11/28): Seven hits (three solo), including one TFL (-2 yards) and one pass deflection in the 24-12 win ... Independence Bowl (12/27): Credited with 10 hits (three solo), including 1.5 TFLs (-4 yards) in the 27-23 win over Nebraska ... Also had one pass deflection ... Preseason: Named third team preseason All-America by Athlon ... A first team preseason All-SEC pick by Athlon, The Southeastern Post and Street & Smith's ... Named second team preseason All-SEC by The Birmingham News, The Sporting News and Lindy's. 2001: Started all 11 games at strongside linebacker ... Earned third letter ... Ole Miss' leading tackler with 105 stops (52 solo) to become the first Rebel since Nate Wayne in 1996 to record at least 100 tackles in a season ... Finished ninth in the SEC in tackles ... Recorded double figures in tackles in six games ... vs. Murray State (9/1): Saw his first action since the 1999 Independence Bowl, after missing all of 2000 when he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot during preseason drills ... Tallied five tackles (two solo) ... vs. Auburn (9/8): Credited with 11 tackles (six solo), including two TFLs (-2 yards) ... Recorded double figures in tackles in three consecutive games against Arkansas State (10/6), Alabama (10/13) and Middle Tennessee (10/20) ... vs. Arkansas State: Made 13 stops (six solo) and recorded one QB sack ... Named Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week ... vs. Alabama: Had 11 tackles (eight solo) ... Earned Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week honors ... vs. Middle Tennessee: Credited with 11 hits (4 solo) ... vs. Arkansas (11/3): Recorded 14 stops (five solo) ... vs. Mississippi State (11/22): Had a career-high 15 tackles (8 solo) ... After missing 2000 with a stress fracture in his left foot, came back strong in the spring to reclaim his starting spot ... Named 2001 preseason All-SEC first team by Lindy's and All-SEC second team by Birmingham News ... Ranked by Lindy's as the nation's fifth-best outside linebacker heading into the 2001 season ... Had six tackles in Red-Blue game. 2000: Missed the entire season after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot during the preseason and was redshirted ... Underwent surgery to repair the fracture on Sept. 14 ... Was on the preseason Butkus Award "Watch List" for the nation's top linebacker ... Returning starter who was moved from outside to middle linebacker in spring ... Selected to 2000 preseason All-Southeastern Conference first team by Lindy's and second team All-SEC by The Birmingham News ... Rated by Lindy's as the nation's fifth-best inside linebacker heading into the 2000 season ... Also chosen by Lindy's as an "Emerging Star" on the Ole Miss team ... Selected by The Birmingham News as the SEC's second-best inside linebacker. 1999: Selected second team Coaches All-SEC ... Played in 12 games and earned his second letter ... Made nine starts at weakside linebacker and one at middle linebacker before starting at strong-side linebacker spot against Oklahoma in Sanford Independence Bowl ... During regular season, registered a team-high 72 stops with a team-high 49 solo hits ... Had seven TFLs for 37 yards and 3.5 QB sacks for 26 yards ... Also had four pass break-ups, two QB pressures, two fumble recoveries and one interception ... Credited with a season-high 12 tackles against Arkansas State and was named Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week ... Had 11 stops versus Tulane ... Named Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week against Mississippi State after tallying three tackles, recovering one fumble and intercepting one pass ... His nine tackles against Oklahoma in Sanford Independence Bowl tied Syniker Taylor for most stops in that game ... After starting six games as a true freshman in 1998, retained starting linebacker spot in spring and also worked some at defensive end ... Rated by Lindy's as the nation's No. 23 outside linebacker heading into the 1999 season ... SPORT magazine named him one of five "Catch a Rising Star" players in its 1999 College Football Preview edition ... Had six tackles, including three QB sacks, and broke up one pass in Red-Blue game. 1998: True freshman who made an instant impact on the Rebel defense ... Earned All-SEC Freshman honors by the Knoxville News Sentinel ... Selected Defensive Newcomer of the Year by the Rebel Club of Jackson ... Played in all 12 games, including Sanford Independence Bowl, and earned his first letter ... Made six starts at linebacker as he shared starting duties with Al Rice ... Finished third on the team in tackles with 66, including 38 solo hits ... Had four tackles for loss for minus 11 yards and two and a half sacks for minus 21 yards ... Had his first career pass interception at SMU and returned it 11 yards ... Forced two fumbles, had two QB pressures ... Recovered one fumble against Arkansas ... Had four tackles, including one for loss, against Texas Tech in Independence Bowl ... Selected as the Quarterback Club Defensive Player of the Week against Auburn and Arkansas. HIGH SCHOOL: Parade, Reebok, and Max Emfinger All-America selection who was Gatorade 1997 Player of the Year in Mississippi ... Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen and No. 5 on Ten Most Wanted list ... Max Emfinger Super Dixie National Bluechips ... Super Prep Dixie 113 ... 1997 Class 5A North Mississippi Most Valuable Player ... Rated as Mississippi's No. 1 player by First Down Recruiting ... Named to ESPN SportsZone Top 100 list, ranking No. 87 ... First team All-South pick of Countdown To Signing Day ... Selected to play in 1998 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football game in Mobile, Ala. ... During senior season, was credited with 132 tackles, including 21 QB sacks ... Also had three interceptions, returning one for a TD ... Career statistics included 456 tackles ... Started all 55 games during four years at South Panola ... Helped lead Tigers to state runner-up spot with identical 14-1 finishes ... Coached in high school by Ed Stanley ... Earned four letters in football and basketball ... Basketball team was 28-3 and runner-up ... Averaged 25.8 points and 15 rebounds ... Rated Best Defensive Player and Best Offensive Player ... Made North 5-A squad. PERSONAL: Son of Faye Strong ... Full name is Eddie Donnail Strong ... Born: March 12, 1980 ... Majoring in Criminal Justice. STRONG'S CAREER STATISTICS —DEFENSE— Year G-S UT AT TT TFL-YDS Sacks-Yds 1998 11-5 38 28 66 4.0-19 2.5-21 1999 11-10 49 23 72 7.0-37 3.5-26 2001 11-11 52 53 105 6.0-13 2.0-8 2002 10-9 37 26 63 8.0-35 2.5-23 Total 43-35 176 130 306 25.0-104 10.5-78 |
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