TRANSACTIONS
Selected in the first round (9th overall) of the NFL Draft by Carolina (4/26/12).
GP/GS
Career (16/16); 2012 (16/16).
2012
SEASON NOTES: Selected in the first round (ninth overall) of the NFL Draft by Carolina...Started 16 games, opening the first four games at weakside linebacker before moving to middle linebacker for the last 12 following a season-ending injury to Jon Beason...Led the NFL with 164 tackles (based on press box statistics), becoming the first rookie since Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers in 2007 to top the league in tackles...Set a team record with 205 tackles (based on coaches' film review), breaking the previous mark of 174 by James Anderson in 2011...Set a team record for tackles by a rookie, surpassing the previous mark of 160 by Jon Beason in 2007...Produced 10 or more tackles in a game 12 times and led or tied for the team high in tackles 10 times...Finished first on the team with three fumble recoveries and tied for first with two interceptions to go along with one sack and five passes defensed...After shift to middle linebacker in Week 5, keyed defensive improvement from 24th in the league to 10th at the end of the season...In 12 games at middle linebacker, played all 769 defensive snaps and averaged 14.4 tackles per game, helping the Panthers rank sixth in total defense, eighth rushing defense and 11th in passing defense over that period.
HONORS: AP Defensive Rookie of the Year...Pro Football Weekly/PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year...Pro Football Weekly/PFWA All-Rookie...ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for December...Totaled 74 tackles, one sack, one interception and two passes defensed as Panthers went 4-1 during month...Gathered 15 or more tackles in four games...Contributed to defense that held two opponents to less than 200 total net yards...PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week for performance in Week 14 versus Atlanta (12/9)...Posted 19 tackles in Panthers' 30-20 win...Part of defensive effort that limited Falcons to 35 rushing yards as Carolina became just the second team in 2012 to hold Atlanta to 20 points or less.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS - At Tampa Bay (9/9): Joined fellow rookies Josh Norman and Amini Silatolu as opening day starters...Vs. Seattle (10/7): Made first start at middle linebacker...Notched first career interception, snagging a pass by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson out of midair that had bounced off the hands of running back Marshawn Lynch...Vs. Dallas (10/21): Compiled 18 tackles, equaling the third most in team history...Fell on a fumble by Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin...Takeaway led to a touchdown...Vs. Tampa Bay (11/18): Ended a Buccaneers' scoring threat with a recovery of a fumble by running back Doug Martin in the end zone for a touchback...Panthers converted takeaway into a touchdown...At Philadelphia (11/26): Recovered a fumble by Eagles running back Bryce Brown...At Kansas City (12/2): Victimized Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn for first career sack, dropping him for a four-yard loss...Vs. Atlanta (12/9): Established a career high with 19 tackles, the second-highest single-game total in team history...Vs. Oakland (12/23): Intercepted a pass by Raiders quarterback Matt Leinart and returned it 25 yards to set up a touchdown.
COLLEGE
Played in 38 games with 37 starts at Boston College...Entered NFL following junior season...Dynamic playmaker with exceptional vision, instincts, agility and power...Finished career with an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and school-record 532 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, seven interceptions and 10 passes defensed...Tackle total ranks second in NCAA history...Averaged an NCAA record 14.0 tackles per game...Recorded at least 10 tackles in 34 games, including an NCAA record 33 consecutive games...Only player to ever lead the nation in tackles more than once and first player to lead the ACC in tackles three times...2011 (Jr.): Earned Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation's top defensive player, Butkus Award as the nation's most outstanding linebacker and Rotary Lombardi Award as the nation's best lineman or linebacker...First-team All-American...ACC Defensive Player of the Year...First-team All-ACC selection...Started 12 games at middle linebacker...Led the nation with a conference and school record 191 tackles, averaging a Football Bowl Subdivision record 15.9 tackles per game...Registered 12 tackles for loss, three interceptions and three passes defensed...2010 (So.): First-team All-American...First-team All-ACC choice...Started 13 games at middle linebacker...Ranked first in the nation with 183 tackles...Posted 10.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions and three passes defensed...Anchored the nation's top-rated rushing defense, yielding 82.3 yards per game...2009 (Fr.): First-team Freshman All-American...ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year...First-team All-ACC selection...Played in 13 games with 12 starts...Made nine starts at weakside linebacker and three at middle linebacker...Finished second in the nation with 158 tackles - the most by a true freshman in school history...Collected 13 tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, one interception and four passes defensed.
PERSONAL
Attended St. Xavier HS in Cincinnati, Ohio...Majored in marketing at Boston College...Last name is pronounced KEEK-lee.
TRANSACTIONS
Selected in the first round (9th overall) of the NFL Draft by Carolina (4/26/12).
GP/GS
Career (16/16); 2012 (16/16).
2012
SEASON NOTES: Selected in the first round (ninth overall) of the NFL Draft by Carolina...Started 16 games, opening the first four games at weakside linebacker before moving to middle linebacker for the last 12 following a season-ending injury to Jon Beason...Led the NFL with 164 tackles (based on press box statistics), becoming the first rookie since Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers in 2007 to top the league in tackles...Set a team record with 205 tackles (based on coaches' film review), breaking the previous mark of 174 by James Anderson in 2011...Set a team record for tackles by a rookie, surpassing the previous mark of 160 by Jon Beason in 2007...Produced 10 or more tackles in a game 12 times and led or tied for the team high in tackles 10 times...Finished first on the team with three fumble recoveries and tied for first with two interceptions to go along with one sack and five passes defensed...After shift to middle linebacker in Week 5, keyed defensive improvement from 24th in the league to 10th at the end of the season...In 12 games at middle linebacker, played all 769 defensive snaps and averaged 14.4 tackles per game, helping the Panthers rank sixth in total defense, eighth rushing defense and 11th in passing defense over that period.
HONORS: AP Defensive Rookie of the Year...Pro Football Weekly/PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year...Pro Football Weekly/PFWA All-Rookie...ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for December...Totaled 74 tackles, one sack, one interception and two passes defensed as Panthers went 4-1 during month...Gathered 15 or more tackles in four games...Contributed to defense that held two opponents to less than 200 total net yards...PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week for performance in Week 14 versus Atlanta (12/9)...Posted 19 tackles in Panthers' 30-20 win...Part of defensive effort that limited Falcons to 35 rushing yards as Carolina became just the second team in 2012 to hold Atlanta to 20 points or less.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS - At Tampa Bay (9/9): Joined fellow rookies Josh Norman and Amini Silatolu as opening day starters...Vs. Seattle (10/7): Made first start at middle linebacker...Notched first career interception, snagging a pass by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson out of midair that had bounced off the hands of running back Marshawn Lynch...Vs. Dallas (10/21): Compiled 18 tackles, equaling the third most in team history...Fell on a fumble by Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin...Takeaway led to a touchdown...Vs. Tampa Bay (11/18): Ended a Buccaneers' scoring threat with a recovery of a fumble by running back Doug Martin in the end zone for a touchback...Panthers converted takeaway into a touchdown...At Philadelphia (11/26): Recovered a fumble by Eagles running back Bryce Brown...At Kansas City (12/2): Victimized Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn for first career sack, dropping him for a four-yard loss...Vs. Atlanta (12/9): Established a career high with 19 tackles, the second-highest single-game total in team history...Vs. Oakland (12/23): Intercepted a pass by Raiders quarterback Matt Leinart and returned it 25 yards to set up a touchdown.
COLLEGE
Played in 38 games with 37 starts at Boston College...Entered NFL following junior season...Dynamic playmaker with exceptional vision, instincts, agility and power...Finished career with an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and school-record 532 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, seven interceptions and 10 passes defensed...Tackle total ranks second in NCAA history...Averaged an NCAA record 14.0 tackles per game...Recorded at least 10 tackles in 34 games, including an NCAA record 33 consecutive games...Only player to ever lead the nation in tackles more than once and first player to lead the ACC in tackles three times...2011 (Jr.): Earned Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation's top defensive player, Butkus Award as the nation's most outstanding linebacker and Rotary Lombardi Award as the nation's best lineman or linebacker...First-team All-American...ACC Defensive Player of the Year...First-team All-ACC selection...Started 12 games at middle linebacker...Led the nation with a conference and school record 191 tackles, averaging a Football Bowl Subdivision record 15.9 tackles per game...Registered 12 tackles for loss, three interceptions and three passes defensed...2010 (So.): First-team All-American...First-team All-ACC choice...Started 13 games at middle linebacker...Ranked first in the nation with 183 tackles...Posted 10.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions and three passes defensed...Anchored the nation's top-rated rushing defense, yielding 82.3 yards per game...2009 (Fr.): First-team Freshman All-American...ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year...First-team All-ACC selection...Played in 13 games with 12 starts...Made nine starts at weakside linebacker and three at middle linebacker...Finished second in the nation with 158 tackles - the most by a true freshman in school history...Collected 13 tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, one interception and four passes defensed.
PERSONAL
Attended St. Xavier HS in Cincinnati, Ohio...Majored in marketing at Boston College...Last name is pronounced KEEK-lee.
