University of Missouri Athletics

• 2008 Spring Most Improved Linebacker
• 2007 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches, Associated Press)
• 2006 1st-Team Academic All-Big 12

2008 OUTLOOK
All-Big 12 level linebacker who looks to step up his play in his third year as a starter for what should be one of the better defenses in the conference in 2008 ... Is MU's most experienced linebacker, with 38 career games played and 25 career starts ... Enters fall camp owning the No. 1 spot on the depth chart at the middle linebacker position ... With 224 tackles in his 3 previous seasons, he enters the 2008 campaign as MU's active career leader in tackles ... Is quick, physical and has great lateral movement ... Has worked hard in the weight room to add some 25 pounds to his frame since coming to campus.

2007 SEASON
Moved to his more natural MLB position, after playing at SLB a year ago, and had a solid 2007 debut, as he was third on the team with seven tackles against Illinois ... Had one of 10 TFLs recorded by the Tigers in the season opener ... Also got credit for a QB pressure that helped force a throw that was intercepted late in the fourth quarter by MU s William Moore at the Tiger 24-yardline to preserve MUs lead at the time ... Was the teams second leading tackler with 10 stops (eight solos) against Ole Miss ... Forced a fumble inside the MU 10-yard line in the second quarter to end an Ole Miss scoring threat ... Made 10 tackles against Western Michigan, including one TFL ... Had two pass break-ups against WMU and pick up his second career interception on Western Michigan's second drive of the day ... Made seven stops against Illinois State, with a sack ... Added six more tackles (fourth on the club) and a TFL against Nebraska ... Made a team-best 12 tackles against Oklahoma ... Had seven stops in the win over Texas Tech and made nine tackles against Iowa State ... Made four tackles (all solo stops) against Colorado in another great effort by the MU defense ... Recorded three tackles against Texas A&M ... Had six stops against Kansas State and made four tackles against Kansas ... Tied for third on the team with eight tackles in the Big 12 Championship game against Oklahoma ... Is third on the team with 96 tackles on the season ... Ranks 13th in the Big 12 Conference with an average of 7.2 tackles per game.

2006 SEASON
Talented, young linebacker who come into his own as a sophomore ... Began fall camp as the backup to Dedrick Harrington at MLB, but with the injury to Van Alexander, shifted to strongside, and was the starter there all year ... Started 11-of-13 games (with the two non-starts coming when MU started in a nickel package), and registered a career-high 87 tackles, which ranked fourth-best on the team ... Had 6.5 TFLs on the season, which was second-best among Tiger linebackers ... Closed with a five-tackle outing in the Sun Bowl against Oregon State, where he broke up one pass and had a half-tackle for loss in the game ... Is an outstanding student who earned First-Team Academic All-Big 12 honors ... Had five tackles vs. KSU and forced a third-quarter fumble that David Overstreet returned 41 yards for a TD to break the game open ... Recorded a career-high 12 tackles in the win at New Mexico, including a team-best 10 solo stops ... Added eight tackles against Ohio, which was second on the squad ... Was second on the team with 10 total tackles against Texas A&M ... Had seven total tackles (four solos) against Oklahoma ... Recorded his 100th career tackle in a nine-tackle performance against Nebraska ... Was second on the team with seven stops against Iowa State ... Forced his first fumble of the season on the opening series against Nebraska, which was recovered by MU in Husker territory ... Also had three PBUs on the season ... Changed his jersey to No. 34 prior to the season, after wearing No. 35 as a freshman.

2005 SEASON
True freshman linebacker that stepped in and made a nice impact straight out of high school, seeing action in 11 games ... Ended with 31 tackles on the year, with 26 of those coming on defense, and five more on the kickoff coverage squad ... Closed the year with a great performance in the Tigers' Independence Bowl win over South Carolina, as he filled in for an injured Dedrick Harrington (who left the game early in the second half with a broken arm) and responded by making a career-high tying six tackles ... Also had a big game at Kansas, as he recorded a career-high six tackles, including a half-tackle for loss, and also added his first career interception on a beautiful diving catch ... Had a tackle in 10-of-11 games, and had two or more in nine of those outings ... Had two tackles and one QB hurry at Oklahoma State, with his hurry forcing the OSU QB to heave a desperation pass that was intercepted by MU's David Overstreet in the final minute of play to help seal the Tigers' 38-31 win ... Saw his first collegiate action in game No. 2 against New Mexico, and made a big play immediately, as he forced a fumble on the opening kickoff of the game (recovered by New Mexico).

HIGH SCHOOL
An accomplished three-sport star at Kearney High School who was a standout linebacker and tailback ... Was rated as the No. 31 inside linebacker prospect in the nation according to Rivals.com, and the same group ranked him as the No. 7 overall prospect in the state of Missouri ... SuperPrep had him as the No. 55 prospect at any position in the Midlands region ... Led his team in tackles all four years, as he registered career totals of 467 tackles, 51 tackles for loss and three interceptions ... Helped lead Kearney to back-to-back Class 4 state football championships, in 2002 and 2003 ... Was a First-Team all-state pick at LB in 2004, in addition to earning the same honors in 2002 and 2003 ... Was also a three-time First-Team all-district and all-conference honoree, as well as a two-time First-Team selection at all-metro ... Had 84 tackles as a senior, including 11 tackles for loss and three interceptions ... As a junior in 2003, had 127 stops, including 14 TFLs in a year in which Kearney won every game by at least 35 points ... Team had a perfect 13-0 record and claimed Class 4 state football title in 2003, as Kearney shutout Ladue, 43-0 in the title game ... Ran three times for 50 yards in the title game, and added a game-high 10 tackles (including one for loss) on the day ... Had 128 tackles as a sophomore, including 15 TFLs as Kearney was 13-1 in 2002 and won title game over Eureka, 36-22 ... Scored a TD on a 14-yard reception in the 3rd quarter of that game to give his team some breathing room ... Led his team with 13 tackles on the day, including one tackle for loss and one forced fumble ... Also led Kearney as a freshman with 128 tackles, including 11 for loss in 2001 ... Also starred in basketball and baseball for Kearney ... Earned all-conference honors in basketball, and First-Team all-state honors in baseball ... Was a starter on Kearney hoops squad that reached Class 4 championship game in 2004 ... Had five points, six rebounds and three steals in the title game played at Mizzou's Hearnes Center ... Had 13 points and 9 rebounds in Kearney's semi-final win over Ozark ... High school coach - Mark Thomas.

PERSONAL
Son of Robert & Maureen Christopher ... Chose MU over Iowa, Kansas State and Ohio State.