Two Time MAC MVP Larry English Heads to the NFL Draft

Larry English happens to be one of the draft choices that a friend of mine has been following, having attended several games while visiting his sister while she was at Northern Illinois University. He had lots of information that he compiled and was more than willing to assist me with the following facts. Of course, it does sort of creep me out that he actually keeps notes on this sort of stuff, but to each his own. One of the key facts he knew is that this defensive player won the MAC's (Mid-American Conference) Vern Smith Leadership Award two times in a row. Apparently the league coaches agreed he was the MAC's top football player in 2007 and 2008. He is only the third player to win the award from Northern Illinois University and the only defensive player to win since the first award was given in 1982 to Central Michigan linebacker Ray Bentley.

During his college career he was on the watch list for several other awards including the Lombardi and Nagurski awards. In 2007 he had five sacks and twelve tackles in one game against Idaho. This is a man with a purpose on the field, not to mention a brain in his head. He was a Liberal Arts and Sciences major at Northern Illinois and was also an Honor Roll student in high school.

As a person he has great character and as a player he has a lot to offer. Consider that even though he broke his thumb during the first game of last season, he still managed to accomplish eight sacks and fifteen tackles for loss. I guess a few pins holding his thumb together is not going to stop this 6'3", 255 lb. defensive player. My pal seems to agree with the suggested ranking by nfldraftscout.com in that we could probably see him drafted in the first round due to the MVP status he maintained, but possibly not until early in the second round. Also take into account that he would be strongest with a team that uses the 3-4 system so it is possible that he could go to the Dolphins who play a 3-4. Another possibility would be Denver if he kicks some interviewing butt at the combine.

His accomplishments are definitely going to have to be highlighted during this process and will serve him well in the long run. He has great instincts and is really quick which works well for someone that is not really that big when it comes to linebackers. He is a tiresome defender and has proven throughout his career that he can be counted on to give 100% at every game. What he does lack is some balance and flexibility, which we've seen with lots of players, but he also has not shown much in a lateral range. Overall though you can be assured he will be part of the team and will give it his all when the time comes.