The Citadel Athletics

HONORS AND AWARDS
Invited to Los Angeles Chargers Rookie Mini Camp
Invited to play in Reese’s Senior Bowl
2017 ADA FCS Academic All-Star Team
2017 CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team
2017 Academic All-Southern Conference
2017 All-Southern Conference Second Team (coaches)
2017 All-Southern Conference Second Team (media)
2017 Preseason All-Southern Conference Second Team
2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team
2016 Academic All-Southern Conference
Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (Oct. 25, 2016)
2015 Academic All-Southern Conference

SENIOR (2017): Second Team All-SoCon selection by both the coaches and the media after starting all 11 games at linebacker for the Bulldogs … Named to the ADA FCS Academic All-Star Team and named CoSida Academic All-District selection for a second consecutive year … Invited to play in Reese’s Senior Bowl  … Invited to Los Angeles Chargers’ Rookie Mini Camp … Started the final 23 games of his career … Finished his career with 180 career tackles … Led the Bulldogs in tackles (91), tackles for loss (13.0), and pass breakups (4) … Part of a Bulldogs' defense led the SoCon in a number of key defensive categories for much of the season …. Averaged nine tackles per game over final eight games of the season and logged double-digit tackles in three contests … Had a season-high 12 tackles in game against No. 5 Wofford (10/14), including a season-high nine tackle assists … Had a season-high six solo tackles and one sack against CFP No. 1 seed Clemson (11/18) … Had 2.0 tackles for loss three times, including in the season-opener against Newberry (9/2), at ETSU (9/16) and at home against VMI (10/28) … Had a sack against Newberry and another one at ETSU … Had a season-high three quarterback hurries at ETSU.

JUNIOR (2016): Started all 12 games … First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-District … Recorded 78 tackles, including 11.0 for loss with 1.0 sack, one forced fumble and one quarterback hurry … Made career-high 12 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, in 24-21 win at Wofford … Named Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week after his performance at Terriers … Registered career-high 3.0 tackles for loss as part of six-tackle performance in 38-14 win at North Greenville … Opened season with five tackles in 24-23 victory at Mercer … Made three stops in 19-14 win vs. Furman … Recorded seven tackles, including 1.0 for loss, and one forced fumble in 31-24 win at Gardner-Webb … Made three tackles in 37-14 victory at Western Carolina … Had four tackles, including 1.0 for loss, in 22-14 victory vs. No. 5 Chattanooga … Recorded five tackles, including 1.0 for loss with 0.5 sack, in 45-10 win vs. ETSU … Made six tackles, including 1.0 for loss with 0.5 sack, in 37-34 victory vs. No. 20 Samford … Had another six-tackle performance with 1.0 for loss in 30-20 win at VMI … Made 11 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, at North Carolina … Registered 10 tackles and one quarterback hurry in second round of FCS Playoffs vs. No. 19 Wofford.

SOPHOMORE (2015): Appeared in 12 games … Recorded nine tackles, including 1.5 for loss … Registered career-high four tackles, including career-high 1.0 for loss, at Georgia Southern … Made one solo stop in season-opening 69-0 win vs. Davidson … Had two tackles, 0.5 for loss, in 28-10 win vs. Western Carolina … Made one tackle vs. Charleston Southern … Recorded one stop in 38-17 win at Furman.

FRESHMAN (2014): Appeared in five games … Recorded two tackles … Made one solo stop in collegiate debut at defending national champion Florida State … Had one tackle in 42-35 win vs. Furman … Also saw action in 63-56 win vs. Charlotte, at Western Carolina and vs. Samford.

HIGH SCHOOL: A 2014 graduate of Daphne High School in Daphne, Ala. ... Four-year letterwinner for the football team ... Recorded 111 tackles and forced two fumbles during his senior season, earning him all-metro and all-county honors ... Made 128 tackles and forced three fumbles in 2012 ... Helped lead his team to a 6A state championship in 2010 ... A member of the National Honor Society.

PERSONAL: Son of Michael and Daphne Pierce ... Father played football at Tulane from 1986-90 and brother played at Tulane for two seasons before transferring to Samford ... Major is business administration.