Pittsburgh Steelers
2012 NFL Draft
Thursday, April 26 – Saturday, April 28, 2012
SEAN SPENCE
Outside/Middle Linebacker
University of Miami Hurricanes
5:11.3-231
Miami, Florida
Northwestern High School
3rd Round – 86th Overall
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CAREER NOTES
Spence started 40-of-47 games at Miami - 39 at weak-side outside linebacker and the 2011 Georgia Tech contest at middle linebacker…Ranks 11th in school history with 318 tackles (170 solos) that included 10.5 sacks for minus 87 yards and 47.0 stops for losses totaling 164 yards…Caused four fumbles, recovered another, deflected nine passes and had a 7-yard interception return for a touchdown…Spence is the first Hurricane to record 100 tackles in consecutive seasons (111 in 2010 and 106 in 2011) since 2003 (Jonathan Vilma made 133 stops in 2002 and 127 in 2003)…Is just one of six Hurricanes to ever record 100 tackles at least twice in a career.
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2011 SEASON
Spence earned All-American fourth-team honors from Phil Steele, as the Butkus Award semifinalist was the recipient of the team's Captain's Award and Jack Hardin Most Outstanding Player Award…Earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team honors from the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association…Started the team's final 11 games, including ten at weakside outside linebacker and at middle linebacker vs. Georgia Tech… Led the team with 106 tackles (54 solos), three sacks for minus 23 yards and a team-high 14 stops for losses of 39 yards, as that total ranked second in the league and tied for 30th in the nation…Finished fourth in the ACC with an average of 9.64 tackles per game…Also caused a fumble and deflected one pass…Registered at least ten tackles in six games.
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2010 SEASON
The team's Most Valuable Player earned second-team All-ACC honors from the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association…One of seven Hurricanes to start all 13 games, the junior weak-side linebacker finished second on the team and fifth in the conference with a career-high 111 tackles 959 solos) that included 2.5 sacks for minus 21 yards…Paced the Hurricanes and ranked fourth in the league with a career-high 17.0 stops for losses of 61 yards for a team that ranked 22nd in the nation in total defense (323.31 ypg)…Caused two fumbles, recovered another and deflected six passes…The junior was all over the field and posted 11 hits with a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage vs. Ohio State, adding nine tackles as he registered 2.5 tackles for losses, including 1.5 sacks. vs. Pittsburgh…The junior posted 11 tackles with three stops for minus 12 yards vs. Georgia Tech, had ten hits that included a 3-yard sack and 2.5 stops for loss before ending the year with a ten-tackle performance vs. Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl.
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2009 SEASON
The sophomore started seven of the ten games he appeared in, as he finished with 36 tackles (19 solos)…Credited with three sacks for minus 28 yards, 6.5 stops for losses of 33 yards and a quarterback pressure.
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2008 SEASON
The Freshman All-American selection by The Sporting News and College Football News, Spence was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year after he received 39 votes of 67 ballots cast by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association…The weak-side linebacker started the last nine games, finishing third on the team with 65 tackles (38 solos) that included two sacks and a team-high 9.5 stops for losses of 31 yards…Also caused a fumble and deflected a pass, scoring on a seven-yard interception return during his first career start, vs. Florida State, adding ten tackles vs. the Seminoles…Caused a fumble in the final moments of regulation vs. Virginia.
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HIGH SCHOOL
Spence attended Miami Florida powerhouse Northwestern High School, playing football for head coach Billy Rolle…Was a four-star prospect, rated 13th among the nation's outside linebackers by Rivals.com, as that recruiting service placed him on their Florida Top 24 squad…Scout.com also regarded the 194-pound prep senior as a four-star recruit and rated him the fifth-best weak-side linebacker in the country…Moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore, picking off a pair of passes while recording 96 tackles…During his junior campaign, the team compiled a 15-0 record, with the linebacker leading the state with 197 tackles that included ten stops behind the line of scrimmage while picking off two more passes…In 2007, the team's national championship campaign, Spence delivered 123 tackles with two interceptions and three sacks…Rated the second-best outside linebacker in the country by ESPN and earned All-American honors from Prep State…Added All-State accolades from the Florida Sportswriters Association and ranked sixth on the Miami Herald South Florida Top 25. Selected to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 team, he competed in the inaugural Under-Armour All-Star game.
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PERSONAL General Studies major…Born 06/07/1990 in Miami, Florida.
