2012 HOUSTON TEXANS MEDIA GUIDE - Parent Directory - NFL.com

WHITNEY MERCILUSOUTSIDE LINEBACKERHeight: 6-4 | Weight: 254 | College: Illinois |Hometown: Akron, Ohio | Rookie |1st with Texans | Age as of Kickoff Weekend 2012: 22 |Acquired: D1, 2012 (26th overall) | 2012 GP/GS: 0/0 |Career GP/GS: 0/0 | Teams: Houston, 2012 |HEADERTEXANS BIOS59TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Houston Texans in the first round (26th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.COLLEGE:• Started 15 of 37 games at Illinois, recording 81 tackles (42 solo) with 18.0 sacks (119 yards), 28tackles for loss (150 yards), 11 forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries• Tied for eighth in NCAA FBS history with 11 forced fumbles, which also ranks fifth on the Big TenConference all-time record chart and is second on the Illini all-time list (13 by Simeon Rice from1992-95)• Set a school and Big Ten single-season record with nine forced fumbles in 2011• Tied Rice’s 1994 school record of 16.0 sacks in 2011• Third on the Illinois single-season tackle for loss chart with 22.5 in 2011• Earned 2011 All-America and All-Big Ten Conference first-team honors from The NFL DraftReport as the scouting service named him the league’s Player of the Year and National DefensiveLineman of the Year• Mid-season All-America from Phil Steele’s College Football and was selected National DefensiveLineman of the Week for his performance vs. Indiana (3.0 sacks) his senior season• Led the nation in sacks per game (1.23) and fumbles forced per game (0.833) as a senior• Recorded a career-high 57 tackles (28 solo) with 16.0 sacks (105 yards) to tie the school seasonrecordthat was first set by Simeon Rice in 1994• Played in all 13 games, starting two games at weak-side defensive end his junior season• Recorded 16 tackles (eight solo) with a 7-yard sack and three tackles for loss (11 yards) in 2010• Recorded eight tackles (four solo), two assisted sacks (7 yards) and 3.5 tackles for loss (16 yards)in 2009• Redshirted as a freshmanPERSONAL:• Attended Garfield High School, played defensive end and tight end and earned Northeast OhioInland All-Star team, Cleveland Plain-Dealer Defensive All-Star team and All-District honors afterleading the Rams to a 7-3 record in 2007• A Prep Star All-Region and All-Akron City League choice, he recorded 36 solo tackles with a pair ofsacks, six stops behind the line of scrimmage and four fumble recoveries, advancing one 36 yardsfor a score that year• Community Health majorwww.HoustonTexans.comtwitter.com/TexansPR