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'08 OH DE Whitney Mercilus (Illinois Signee)

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Illini's Mercilus leads nation in sacks
BY STU DURANDO ? [email protected]
Wednesday, October 12, 2011

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. ? Sensing that a teammate had lost control of the 405 pounds he was attempting to squat, Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus quickly reacted, reaching out to help.

The timing, however, was all wrong. With his left hand situated beneath the weights, the load collapsed. Then came a slow-motion moment before reality hit.

"I didn't realize my finger came off until maybe four seconds later," Mercilus said. "I looked at my hand and started freaking out."

The tip of his left index finger was gone and unable to be saved.

Six months later, the Illini junior can make light of the moment, celebrating the fact that he lost only about three-quarters of an inch of a finger instead of his entire hand.

Mercilus has become invaluable to the Illinois defense, leading the country with 8? sacks at the season's midway point, and has made himself a leading candidate for the Big Ten's defensive player of the year award.

His greatest difficulties these days are typing and picking up coins. It's become more of an annoyance or conversation piece more than a hindrance on the field.

"It put a lot of stuff into perspective," he said. "If it would have been my hand, I wouldn't be playing right now. It makes me realize every day that anything can happen."

For instance, a guy who started only two games a year ago and had two career sacks can become a dominating piece of the No. 16 team in the country. Mercilus (pronounced merciless) was named the National Football Performance Awards defensive lineman of the week for his contribution to the win at Indiana, where he had three sacks and two forced fumbles.

And Tuesday he was added to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to the country's top defensive player.

"That's amazing," defensive coordinator Vic Koenning said of Mercilus' status as national sacks leader. "I wouldn't have thought that. Whitney is a prime example in that he does what he's supposed to do and it comes to him. He's usually where he's supposed to be. A lot of guys take themselves out of plays with poor fundamentals or by trying to get sacks. You've got to have the technique and do things right."

A late comer to football, Mercilus focused on soccer as a youth, largely because it was the sport of choice in his parents' home country of Haiti.

But he developed quickly enough in his final two years of high school that former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel visited his school in Akron to check out the raw, athletic talent. But an offer never came.

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Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/coll...76f-57d8-a22f-49bec04d10f5.html#ixzz1aZCHkAQQ
 
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llini's Mercilus: 'This is my bowl game'
Ohio native wants revenge; leads nation in sacks
By Shannon Ryan, Chicago Tribune reporter
October 12, 2011

CHAMPAIGN ? As an Akron, Ohio, native, Whitney Mercilus was buried in insults from hometown friends every season Illinois lost to Ohio State.

The Illini defensive end is eager to reverse the message.

"This is my bowl game," he said. "I get a lot of crap from people back home. They tell me Ohio State is this, Ohio State is that every single year. When we do win I'm definitely going to try to rub it in."

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-1013-illinois-football--20111013,0,5592384.story
 
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stowfan;2014902; said:
I thought they said Mecrilus leads the NCAA in sacks so far. He and Jerel Worthy were 2 star instate recruits we didn't offer. I wish the scholarship limit was 125 or 150 instead of 85.
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he was a freak in high school. He had a bunch of long catches playing TE on a team/garfield that had trouble doing anything.. and he stood out on defense. Just another Akron kid that nobody can really figure out .This year North and East H.S each have a player that stands out big time but, just can't tell which ,college will take a chance on them.
 
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