AT ILLINOIS
2011 - Junior: Unanimous concensus first-team All-American ... Winner of Ted Hendricks Award as top DE in the nation ... Named College Football Performance Award National Defensive Performer of the Year ... Winner of Bill Willis National Defensive Lineman of the Year Award ... Finalist for Bronko Nagurski Award ... First team All-Big Ten by coaches and media ... Led the nation and the Big Ten in sacks (16.0), sacks per game (1.23) and forced fumbles (9) ... Broke the Big Ten record and ranks second in FBS history for forced fumbles in a season with nine ... Tied Simeon Rice's single-season Illinois sacks record with 16 ... Tied for third in UI record books with 22.5 tackles for loss and tied for second nationally in TFLs per game (1.73) ... Team MVP and Team Captain in 2011 ... Totaled 57 tackles, 22.5 TFL, 16.0 sacks, nine forced fumbles, six QB hurries, one pass break-up and one fumble recovery in 2011 ... Notched five tackles, three TFLs and 1.5 sacks in Illinois' win over UCLA in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl ... Posted three tackles, one sack and one forced fumble at Minnesota ... Recorded two tackles, one sack and one forced fumble against Wisconsin ... Posted three tackles, one forced fumble, one TFL, one QBH, and one sack against Michigan ... Recorded six tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble against Penn State ... Had five tackles and 2 TFLs against Purdue ... Against Ohio State, had a career-high nine tackles and recorded 1.5 sacks ... Had five solo tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles against Indiana ... Had six tackles along with 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery against Northwestern ... Recorded four tackles, a career-high three QB hurries and one sack against Western Michigan ... Had five tackles, 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble, one PBU and one QB hurry against Arizona State ... Had three solo tackles, 2.0 TFLs and a forced fumble against Arkansas State ... Announced his plans to forgo his senior season and enter the 2012 NFL Draft on Jan. 3, 2012.
2010 - Sophomore: Played in all 13 games, making two starts ... Had 16 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, one sack, two hurries, two forced fumbles and one PBU in 2010 ... Recorded two tackles, one TFL and forced a fumble in Texas Bowl win over Baylor ... Had a tackle and a QB hurry against NIU ... Made first career start against SIU, tallying his first solo QB sack, 2 TFLs, a forced fumble, a QB hurry and a PBU.
2009 - RS Freshman: Played in 11 games, recording eight tackles, 3.5 TFLs and one sack on the season ... Had a career-best 1.5 TFLs against Northwestern ... Recorded a half-sack in win over Minnesota ... Posted a tackle, and first career quarterback sack, in win over Michigan ... Had a tackle, including his first career TFL, at Purdue.
2008 - Freshman: Redshirted the 2008 season ... Enrolled at Illinois in January 2008.
High School: Rated as the No. 36 defensive end by ESPN.com ... Ranked as the No. 28 weakside defensive end by Rivals.com ... Listed as the 22nd-best recruit in the state of Ohio by Rivals.com ... Posted 36 solo tackles, six for loss, two sacks and four fumble recoveries, including one for a 36-yard touchdown, in 2007 ... Also caught 24 passes for 417 yards and eight touchdowns ... Earned Northeast Ohio Inland All-Star team selection ... Named to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer Defensive All-Star team ... Earned district All-Star honors ... PrepStar All-Region ... Graduated high school with over a 3.0 GPA ... High school coach was Bob Sax.
Personal: Son of Yvrose and Wilner Mercilus ... Last name pronounced MER-sil-us ... Born on July 21, 1990 ... Parents are originally from Haiti ... Majoring in community health ... Chose Illinois over Cincinnati, Kansas, Michigan State and Purdue.
CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 9 vs. Ohio State, 10/15/11
Solos: 5 vs. Indiana, 10/8/11
TFL: 4 vs. Indiana, 10/8/11
QB Sacks: 3 vs. Indiana, 10/8/11
QB Hurry: 3 vs. Western Michigan, 9/24/11
Forced Fumbles: 2 vs. Indiana, 10/8/11
PBU: 1, twice (last vs. Arizona State, 9/17/11)
Mercilus' Statistics:
Loading...
Mercilus's Game-By-Game Statistics
(updated 5/23/12)
