Second-round 2012 draft pick was active as part of D-line rotation in season’s first half, and had a shared sack and a forced fumble ... Inactive for season’s last eight games and for Wild Card playoff, as his rotation time was claimed by return of veteran Pat Sims from injury list, but showed well as a rookie ... Was rated an elite playmaker among interior defensive linemen during his Penn State career ... First-team Associated Press All-American in 2011 and also was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year ... Cousin of two NFL All-Pro defenders, DE Art Still (Kansas City) and LB Levon Kirkland (Pittsburgh).
CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Cincinnati in second round of 2012 NFL Draft (53rd overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 5-12-12.
2012 RECAP: Played in eight games (Games 1-8), totaling 20 tackles with half sack and forced fumble ... Inactive for Games 9-16 and for Wild Card playoff ... Two tackles Sept. 10 at Baltimore ... Two tackles Sept. 23 at Washington ... Three tackles Oct. 7 vs. Miami ... Two tackles Oct. 21 vs. Pittsburgh, and had shared sack and forced fumble against Ben Roethlisberger in second quarter, with Bengals recovering at Steelers eight-yard line to set up TD on next play ... Personal season-best seven tackles Nov. 4 vs. Denver ... Played in all four preseason games and recorded six tackles with one pass defensed.
COLLEGE: Played four years (2008-11) at Penn State, preceded by redshirt year in ’07 ... After senior season, was the only defensive player among the three finalists for the 2011 Outland Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation’s top offensive or interior defensive lineman (the award went to Alabama T Barrett Jones) ... Had 8.5 sacks and 27 tackles-for-loss during his final two seasons ... Started career slowly due to two serious injuries (ACL tear in ’07 and ankle fracture in ’08), but broke out with fine junior season and topped it with much better senior year ... As a senior, became first Penn State player since DE Courtney Brown in 1999 to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors from both coaches and media ... Recorded career-high 55 tackles and tied for second on team in sacks (4.5 for minus-36 yards) ... Led Big Ten’s top scoring defense (16.8) ... As a junior, led team in sacks (4.0) while posting 39 tackles and 10.0 tackles-for-loss.
PERSONAL: Born in Camden, N.J., but hometown is Wilmington, Del. ... Attended Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington, where he played offensive line as well as defensive line as a junior and senior, earning all-state honors at both positions ... Also a member of prep basketball and track teams ... Graduated from Penn State in December 2011 with degree in crime, law and justice ... Has a daughter, Leshari ... First name is pronounced “DEV-un.”
