CAREER: Versatile linebacker enters his first season with the Raiders after signing with the team in the offseason…Spent his first six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys after he was drafted by the team in 2012…Has played linebacker and defensive end over his career, and has served as a key special teams performer…Career totals include 89 games played with 16 starts, 90 tackles (60 solo), 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and two passes defensed…Has also added 22 special teams tackles…Has played in 16 games in four of his six years…Played in all 16 games for Dallas in 2017, primarily on special teams…Tied for the team lead with nine special teams stops in 2015…Posted a career-high 43 tackles (30 solo), a career-high two sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in 2013.
2017 (with Dal.): Played in all 16 games, appearing primarily on special teams…Totaled four tackles on defense and six on special teams…(9/10) vs. NYG: Appeared on special teams…(9/17) at Den.: Tallied two tackles on defense and two one special teams…(9/25) at Ari.: Saw action on defense and special teams…(10/1) vs. LAR: Made one special teams stop…(10/8) vs. GB: Notched one tackle on defense…(10/22) at SF: Posted one tackle on defense and added two special teams stops…(10/29) at Was.: Appeared primarily on special teams…(11/23) vs. LAC: Tallied one special teams stop…(11/30) vs. Was.: Tallied three special teams tackles and forced a fumble that was recovered by LS L.P. Ladouceur…(12/24) vs. Sea.: Appeared on special teams.
2016 (with Dal.): Saw action in 15 games with one start, playing both linebacker and defensive end…Totaled three tackles on defense, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries…Added five special teams stops…(9/11) vs. NYG: Saw time at defensive end and posted one tackle in the victory…(10/9) vs. Cin.: Started at linebacker and but was forced out of the game with a neck injury…(12/1) at Min.: Tallied two special team tackles…Also forced and recovered a fumble inside the Vikings’ 10-yard line that led to a Cowboys TD…(12/26) vs. Det.: Tallied one special teams stop and added one fumble recovery on defense…(1/1/17) at Phi.: Saw extended action on defense and posted one tackle.
2015 (with Dal.): Played in all 16 games for the third straight season…Started six games at linebacker, totaling 17 tackles (12 solo) on defense…Tied for the team lead with nine special teams stops on the year…(9/13) vs. NYG: Tallied two tackles and two special teams tackles…(9/20) at Phi.: Posted two special teams tackles and scooped up a blocked punt and raced 26 yards for his first career TD in the win…(11/8) vs. Phi.: Appeared in his 50th career NFL contest and tallied two tackles on defense…(11/15) at TB: Started at linebacker and posted two tackles…(11/26) vs. Car.: Notched six tackles in the Thanksgiving Day game…(12/19) vs. NYJ: Tallied two tackles.
2014 (with Dal.): Played in all 16 games and made three starts on the year…Totaled 21 tackles (12 solo), 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed…(9/14) at Ten.: Posted one tackle and 0.5 sacks in the victory…(9/21) at StL.: Started at linebacker and finished with a career-high nine tackles in the victory…(12/14) at Phi.: Recorded a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter that led to a FG…(12/21) vs. Ind.: Started and tallied two tackles and one sack in the NFC East-clinching victory…(12/28) at Was.: Started and posted two tackles in the victory…Postseason: (1/4/15) vs. Det.: Tallied two tackles and one INT on defense…Picked off QB Matthew Stafford on the first play of the second half…Added one special teams stop.
2013 (with Dal.): Appeared in all 16 games for the first time in his career and made six starts…Saw time at both defensive end and linebacker…Posted a career-high 43 tackles (30 solo), a career-high two sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries…Added three special teams stops…(9/22) vs. StL.: Tallied his first career sack in the victory…(10/13) at Was.: Saw extended playing time on defense and posted one tackle and one sack…Also added a forced fumble and fumble recovery on the play, the firsts of his career…(10/20) at Phi.: Made his first career start and posted one tackle…(10/27) at Det.: Finished with four tackles…(11/24) at NYG: Moved to linebacker and tallied a season-high seven tackles…(11/28) vs. Oak.: Tallied six tackles and one fumble recovery, leading to a Cowboys TD…Added one special teams tackle.
2012 (with Dal.): Played in 10 games during his rookie season…Was limited by a thumb injury suffered in the preseason…Tallied two tackles on defense and six on special teams…(9/23) vs. TB: Made his NFL debut in the victory…(10/1) vs. Chi.: Recorded his first career tackle…(11/4) at Atl.: Appeared on special teams and recorded his first career special teams stop.
COLLEGE: Appeared in 43 games over four seasons at Wake Forest…Totaled 195 tackles, 13.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and six passes defensed…His 195 tackles ranked 13th all-time in school history and his 13.5 sacks rank sixth…Also blocked four kicks…Started all 13 games at linebacker as a senior…Finished second on the team with a career-high 70 tackles…Tied for the team lead with 3.5 sacks and added three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed…Earned third-team All-ACC honors from The NFL Draft Report as a senior…Started all 12 games as linebacker as a junior…Led the team with six sacks and posted 65 tackles, four passes defensed and two blocked kicks…Played in five games as a sophomore, finishing with 18 tackles and one sack…Appeared in 13 games as a freshman and recorded 42 tackles, three sacks and one fumble recovery…Majored in sociology and communications.
PERSONAL: Attended Apopka (Fla.) High School…Earned first-team All-Central Florida, All-Orange County and all-metro conference selections and was chosen to play in the Central Florida All-Star game following his senior year…Was also Florida Class 6A all-state third-team selection as a senior as he helped Apopka to an 8-2 record while recording 55 tackles, four sacks and one fumble recovery…Also participated in weightlifting and wrestling.
ADDITIONAL STATISTICS: Special teams tackles – 3 in 2012, 1 in 2013, 3 in 2014, 4 in 2015, 5 in 2016, 6 in 2017; NFL totals: 22.
SINGLE-GAME HIGHS: TACKLES: Total – 10, 12/9/13 at Chi. Solo – 9, 12/9/13 at Chi. Sacks – 1, three times; last: 12/21/14 vs. Ind. Forced fumbles – 1, three times; last: 11/30/17 vs. Was. Fumble recoveries – 1, five times; last: 12/26/16 vs. Det. Passes defensed – 2, 10/12/14 at Sea.
