FIU Athletics

Lombardi Award Watch List

Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference

2005 (Junior): A outstanding athlete with blazing speed who started the season at linebacker but was moved to a starting defensive end spot in the third game of the year, where he excelled...one of three Golden Panthers to be named as a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honoree...ranked as fifth-best defensive lineman and No. 26 player overall in the league by College Football News...45 overall tackles (27 solo) ranked sixth best on the team...of those, 15.5 tackles for loss established a new school season record, as did his 34.5 career TFLs...had at least one TFL in nine games...nearly doubled the school record for sacks on a season with 11 and is the all-time FIU career leader with 17 sacks...tied for the best in the Sun Belt with 1.0 sacks per game, which would have ranked tied for sixth best in NCAA D-I stats...recorded individual game highs with three tackles for loss in games against Florida A&M (10/1) and at Louisiana-Monroe (11/5)...collected a season-high seven stops (five solo) against North Texas (10/15)...had six tackles (three unassisted) vs. Arkansas State (9/24), which included a team season-high three sacks...forced three fumbles on the year and recovered one...tied for second in the league with 0.27 forced fumbles per game and was second in the SBC with 1.41 tackles for loss that would have ranked tied for No. 24 in I-A...credited with a pair of quarterback hurries in FIU’s come-from-behind victory over Middle Tennessee...blocked punts at Kansas State (9/3) and against SBC opponent Middle Tennessee (12/3) that resulted in touchdowns.

2004 (Sophomore): Started three of the 10 games he played at linebacker...finished fifth on the squad with 53 tackles, 30 of those unassisted...had two-or-more stops in every game...tied for second on the team with three sacks that resulted in minus-23 yards and a pair of forced fumbles and two pass breakups...registered a career-high 11 tackles (6 solo) in the season opener at Youngstown State (9/11) with a sack and three tackles for losses of 11 yards...came off the bench against McNeese State (10/23) to make 10 tackles and a blocked punt...had five tackles and a sack versus Florida A&M (11/27) while also forcing a fumble and running back an interception 51 yards for his first intercollegiate touchdown...recorded seven stops (five unassisted) in the second game of the year against Louisiana-Lafayette (10/2) with a sack...career minus-160 yards from tackles for losses and minus-113 yards from sacks both stood as school records.

2003 (Freshman): A true freshman who played in, and started, all 12 games...finished with 57 tackles (28 solo) and led the team with 11 tackles for losses...had as many as eight stops on three different occasions...against nationally-ranked Bethune-Cookman (9/20), recorded six tackles, three of those resulting in losses...recorded a season-high five solo tackles in his collegiate debut at Indiana State (9/6)...made eight tackles in the victory over Holy Cross (10/25), with two of those for losses, a sack and a forced fumble...blocked a field goal attempt by Gardner-Webb (11/15) that helped force the game into overtime...broke up two pass attempts.

Norland High School: An all-state first-team linebacker who was touted by several recruiting services as FIU’s best-ever football recruit...listed among the Miami Herald’s Top-20 in Miami-Dade County... ranked No. 105 in the state by Floridakids.net...helped lead Norland to the Class 6A state championship for head coach Nigel Dunn...during the regular season, recorded 65 tackles, 30 of those for losses and 13 sacks...in five playoff games, racked up another 51 tackles, 20 for losses, and 14 sacks... recorded two sacks and recovered a fumble in the state championship game...second-team all-county selection...as a Vikings’ wrestler, was a two-time district champion, a regional runner-up and a state qualifier.

Personal: Born October 19, 1984...picked FIU over interest shown by Miami, Michigan State and LSU...son of Marie Barnes...Liberal Studies major.