- Explosive, powerful big man whom General Manager Ted Thompson traded up to select in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the first of three times he traded up in 2012 and the fourth time in five drafts he has moved up to take a defensive player.
- A consensus All-American following his junior season at Michigan State, he earned first-team honors from The Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp, Sporting News, CBSSports.com, NBCSports.com and Yahoo! Sports.
- Became the first Spartan defensive tackle to earn first-team All-America honors since Ronald Curl in 1971 and the first to be named to the AP first team since Charles “Bubba” Smith in 1966.
- An early entrant to the draft but spent four years on campus after redshirting in 2008 and is only 20 hours away from a degree in child development – family community services.
- Comes from an athletic family, with two uncles who played college football at Tennessee State and his mother, Stephanie, having played basketball at Central State University outside of Dayton, Ohio.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- Drafted by the Packers in the second round with the 51st overall pick as General Manager Ted Thompson traded the team’s initial second-rounder (No. 59 overall), plus its fourth-round pick (No. 123 overall), to move up and select the talented big man.
- An interior power player with an explosive first step who started for all three of his participating seasons. He appeared in 40 games with 38 starts and tallied 107 tackles (52 solo), including 27½ for loss, 12 sacks, six passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and two blocked field goals during his three-year career.
- Emerged as a standout for Michigan State as a junior in 2011, starting all 14 games at DT and helping key a defense that ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten Conference in both total defense (277.4 ypg.) and rushing defense (100.5 ypg.).
- Was named a consensus first-team All-American following the season after posting 30 tackles (19 solo), including 10½ for loss, 3½ sacks, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery. Earned the distinction from The Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp, Sporting News, CBSSports.com, NBCSports.com and Yahoo! Sports.
- Was the first Michigan State defensive tackle to earn first-team All-American acclaim since Ronald Curl in 1971 and the first to be named to the AP first team since Charles “Bubba” Smith in 1966.
- Also in 2011, earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from both the league’s coaches and media for the first time in his career, becoming the first Spartan DT to land on the first team since Travis Davis in 1989.
- Was selected to CollegeFootballNews.com’s All-Sophomore second team in addition to being named honorable mention All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media after starting all 13 games and finishing with 40 tackles (14 solo), eight tackles for loss, four sacks and three passes defensed in 2010.
- Enjoyed a breakout campaign in his first participating season as a redshirt freshman in 2009, appearing in all 13 games with 11 starts and earning first-team Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Rivals.com, CollegeFootballNews.com and Sporting News.
- Including his redshirt season, spent four years on campus and is just 20 credit hours away from earning a degree in child development.
2011: Earned consensus first-team All-American status at the conclusion of his junior season after emerging as a force in the middle of the Big Ten’s top-ranked yardage and rushing defense…Was named a first-team All-American by The Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp, Sporting News, CBSSports.com, NBCSports.com and Yahoo! Sports after collecting 30 tackles (19 solo), including 10½ for loss, 3½ sacks, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery…Also registered 10 QB hurries and 14 QB hits during the regular season…Became the first Michigan State defensive tackle to be named a first-team All-American since Ronald Curl in 1971 and the first to be named to the AP team since Charles “Bubba” Smith in 1966…Was also the school’s first All-Big Ten first-team selection at DT since Travis Davis in 1989, earning the honor from both the league’s coaches and media…Was one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, one of 16 semifinalists for the Bednarik Award and one of 20 quarterfinalists for the Lott Trophy…Awarded his team’s Most Outstanding Underclass Lineman Award (defense)…Part of a Spartan defense that allowed just 100.5 rushing yards and 277.4 total yards per game, featuring a scoring defense that yielded an average of 18.4 points per game and held opponents to seven points or fewer on five occasions…At Notre Dame (Sept. 17): Posted four tackles and recovered the second fumble of his career. Wore jersey No. 95 during the game as a tribute to the former Michigan State All-American Smith, who passed away the previous summer. Smith’s final college game was No. 2 MSU facing No. 1 Notre Dame in 1966…Vs. Wisconsin (Oct. 22): Made three tackles (two solo), including one for loss in the team’s last-second upset of the No. 4-ranked Badgers…At Iowa (Nov. 12): Was named the Spartan Defensive Player of the Week after helping to limit the Hawkeyes to just 87 yards rushing during the game, and also blocking a field goal attempt on the final play before halftime…Vs. Wisconsin (Big Ten Championship Game, Dec. 3): Posted two tackles, a hurry and deflected a pass on a two-point conversion…Vs. Georgia (Outback Bowl, Jan. 2): Finished his collegiate career by equaling his career high with five tackles (four solo), including two for loss in the team’s 33-30 triple-overtime victory over the No. 18-ranked Bulldogs.
2010: Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches and media for his performance as a sophomore…Also was named to CollegeFootballNews.com’s All-Sophomore second team...Started all 13 games and led the team’s defensive linemen with 40 tackles (14 solo), eight of them for loss…Paced the team with four sacks...Vs. Michigan (Oct. 9): Tallied three tackles (two solo) and his first sack of the season when he dropped dynamic QB Denard Robinson for a 9-yard loss. Also blocked a FG attempt on the final play of the first half in a 34-17 defeat of the No. 18-ranked Wolverines…At Northwestern (Oct. 23): Posted two tackles (one solo) and equaled his career high with 1½ sacks and a QB hurry…At Iowa (Oct. 30): Set a new career high with five tackles (one solo), including one for loss and a pass defensed…At Penn State (Nov. 27): Tied his career high with five tackles (two solo), including one for loss, a 4-yard sack, his team-leading fourth of the season.
2009: Assumed a starting role in his first participating season as a redshirt freshman…Appeared in all 13 games with 11 starts and posted 37 tackles (19 solo), including nine for a loss, a career-best 4½ sacks, two passes defensed and a fumble recovery, earning Freshman All-American honors from the Football Writers Association of America, Rivals.com, CollegeFootballNews.com and Sporting News…Was also named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team by ESPN.com, Rivals.com, and Sporting News, and was a midseason All-Big Ten first-team selection by Phil Steele…His tackle for loss and sack numbers ranked No. 2 on the team, as he recorded a tackle for loss in seven straight games at one point during the season…Vs. Montana State (Sept. 5): Made his collegiate debut and finished with four tackles (three solo)…Vs. Central Michigan (Sept. 12): Recorded three tackles (two solo) and a career-high 1½ sacks…At Minnesota (Oct. 31): Matched his season high with four tackles (three solo) and his first career fumble recovery against the Gophers…Vs. Texas Tech (Alamo Bowl, Jan. 2): Finished with three tackles (all assists), including half a tackle for loss in his first bowl game.
2008: Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: A four-year varsity letterman, splitting his prep career between two schools, first appearing as a freshman and sophomore at Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton, Ohio, before finishing his junior and senior seasons at Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio…Was ranked as the No. 53 defensive tackle in the nation and the No. 30 overall player in the state of Ohio by Rivals.com…Was chosen to play in the 2008 Big 33 Football Classic, an all-star game featuring players from Ohio and Pennsylvania…Was named to the All-Midwest Team by both SuperPrep and PrepStar…Earned The Associated Press Division I All-Ohio and Southwest All-District first-team honors following a senior season that saw him rack up 50 tackles, 10½ sacks and 12 QB hurries, seven passes defensed and two fumble recoveries…Registered 54 tackles and four sacks as a junior…Also lettered twice in track and once in wrestling.
PERSONAL: Given name Jerel Nicholas Worthy…Born in Dayton, Ohio…Single…Mother, Stephanie, played basketball at Central State University outside of Dayton and his two uncles, Charles Miller and Amzie Smith, played football at Tennessee State…Is active with the Athletes in Action sports ministry and was also a member of a multicultural student group at Michigan State...Grew up working at his local church, helping with cleaning and labor jobs, also serving in a similar capacity while in college, working at the defense and aerospace development firm Demmer Corporation in Lansing…Enjoys fishing, playing video games and collecting Air Jordan sneakers…Is a close friend of New York Giants LB Greg Jones and NBA player Draymond Green, who both also starred at Michigan State…Lists Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter and DeMarcus Ware as his favorite athletes, Any Given Sunday as his favorite movie and Jay-Z as his favorite musical artist…Took a trip to Miami during spring break his junior year of college and named it as his favorite place to visit on vacation...Residence: Dayton, Ohio.
- Explosive, powerful big man whom General Manager Ted Thompson traded up to select in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the first of three times he traded up in 2012 and the fourth time in five drafts he has moved up to take a defensive player.
- A consensus All-American following his junior season at Michigan State, he earned first-team honors from The Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp, Sporting News, CBSSports.com, NBCSports.com and Yahoo! Sports.
- Became the first Spartan defensive tackle to earn first-team All-America honors since Ronald Curl in 1971 and the first to be named to the AP first team since Charles “Bubba” Smith in 1966.
- An early entrant to the draft but spent four years on campus after redshirting in 2008 and is only 20 hours away from a degree in child development – family community services.
- Comes from an athletic family, with two uncles who played college football at Tennessee State and his mother, Stephanie, having played basketball at Central State University outside of Dayton, Ohio.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- Drafted by the Packers in the second round with the 51st overall pick as General Manager Ted Thompson traded the team’s initial second-rounder (No. 59 overall), plus its fourth-round pick (No. 123 overall), to move up and select the talented big man.
- An interior power player with an explosive first step who started for all three of his participating seasons. He appeared in 40 games with 38 starts and tallied 107 tackles (52 solo), including 27½ for loss, 12 sacks, six passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and two blocked field goals during his three-year career.
- Emerged as a standout for Michigan State as a junior in 2011, starting all 14 games at DT and helping key a defense that ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten Conference in both total defense (277.4 ypg.) and rushing defense (100.5 ypg.).
- Was named a consensus first-team All-American following the season after posting 30 tackles (19 solo), including 10½ for loss, 3½ sacks, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery. Earned the distinction from The Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp, Sporting News, CBSSports.com, NBCSports.com and Yahoo! Sports.
- Was the first Michigan State defensive tackle to earn first-team All-American acclaim since Ronald Curl in 1971 and the first to be named to the AP first team since Charles “Bubba” Smith in 1966.
- Also in 2011, earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from both the league’s coaches and media for the first time in his career, becoming the first Spartan DT to land on the first team since Travis Davis in 1989.
- Was selected to CollegeFootballNews.com’s All-Sophomore second team in addition to being named honorable mention All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media after starting all 13 games and finishing with 40 tackles (14 solo), eight tackles for loss, four sacks and three passes defensed in 2010.
- Enjoyed a breakout campaign in his first participating season as a redshirt freshman in 2009, appearing in all 13 games with 11 starts and earning first-team Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Rivals.com, CollegeFootballNews.com and Sporting News.
- Including his redshirt season, spent four years on campus and is just 20 credit hours away from earning a degree in child development.
2011: Earned consensus first-team All-American status at the conclusion of his junior season after emerging as a force in the middle of the Big Ten’s top-ranked yardage and rushing defense…Was named a first-team All-American by The Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp, Sporting News, CBSSports.com, NBCSports.com and Yahoo! Sports after collecting 30 tackles (19 solo), including 10½ for loss, 3½ sacks, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery…Also registered 10 QB hurries and 14 QB hits during the regular season…Became the first Michigan State defensive tackle to be named a first-team All-American since Ronald Curl in 1971 and the first to be named to the AP team since Charles “Bubba” Smith in 1966…Was also the school’s first All-Big Ten first-team selection at DT since Travis Davis in 1989, earning the honor from both the league’s coaches and media…Was one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, one of 16 semifinalists for the Bednarik Award and one of 20 quarterfinalists for the Lott Trophy…Awarded his team’s Most Outstanding Underclass Lineman Award (defense)…Part of a Spartan defense that allowed just 100.5 rushing yards and 277.4 total yards per game, featuring a scoring defense that yielded an average of 18.4 points per game and held opponents to seven points or fewer on five occasions…At Notre Dame (Sept. 17): Posted four tackles and recovered the second fumble of his career. Wore jersey No. 95 during the game as a tribute to the former Michigan State All-American Smith, who passed away the previous summer. Smith’s final college game was No. 2 MSU facing No. 1 Notre Dame in 1966…Vs. Wisconsin (Oct. 22): Made three tackles (two solo), including one for loss in the team’s last-second upset of the No. 4-ranked Badgers…At Iowa (Nov. 12): Was named the Spartan Defensive Player of the Week after helping to limit the Hawkeyes to just 87 yards rushing during the game, and also blocking a field goal attempt on the final play before halftime…Vs. Wisconsin (Big Ten Championship Game, Dec. 3): Posted two tackles, a hurry and deflected a pass on a two-point conversion…Vs. Georgia (Outback Bowl, Jan. 2): Finished his collegiate career by equaling his career high with five tackles (four solo), including two for loss in the team’s 33-30 triple-overtime victory over the No. 18-ranked Bulldogs.
2010: Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches and media for his performance as a sophomore…Also was named to CollegeFootballNews.com’s All-Sophomore second team...Started all 13 games and led the team’s defensive linemen with 40 tackles (14 solo), eight of them for loss…Paced the team with four sacks...Vs. Michigan (Oct. 9): Tallied three tackles (two solo) and his first sack of the season when he dropped dynamic QB Denard Robinson for a 9-yard loss. Also blocked a FG attempt on the final play of the first half in a 34-17 defeat of the No. 18-ranked Wolverines…At Northwestern (Oct. 23): Posted two tackles (one solo) and equaled his career high with 1½ sacks and a QB hurry…At Iowa (Oct. 30): Set a new career high with five tackles (one solo), including one for loss and a pass defensed…At Penn State (Nov. 27): Tied his career high with five tackles (two solo), including one for loss, a 4-yard sack, his team-leading fourth of the season.
2009: Assumed a starting role in his first participating season as a redshirt freshman…Appeared in all 13 games with 11 starts and posted 37 tackles (19 solo), including nine for a loss, a career-best 4½ sacks, two passes defensed and a fumble recovery, earning Freshman All-American honors from the Football Writers Association of America, Rivals.com, CollegeFootballNews.com and Sporting News…Was also named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team by ESPN.com, Rivals.com, and Sporting News, and was a midseason All-Big Ten first-team selection by Phil Steele…His tackle for loss and sack numbers ranked No. 2 on the team, as he recorded a tackle for loss in seven straight games at one point during the season…Vs. Montana State (Sept. 5): Made his collegiate debut and finished with four tackles (three solo)…Vs. Central Michigan (Sept. 12): Recorded three tackles (two solo) and a career-high 1½ sacks…At Minnesota (Oct. 31): Matched his season high with four tackles (three solo) and his first career fumble recovery against the Gophers…Vs. Texas Tech (Alamo Bowl, Jan. 2): Finished with three tackles (all assists), including half a tackle for loss in his first bowl game.
2008: Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: A four-year varsity letterman, splitting his prep career between two schools, first appearing as a freshman and sophomore at Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton, Ohio, before finishing his junior and senior seasons at Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio…Was ranked as the No. 53 defensive tackle in the nation and the No. 30 overall player in the state of Ohio by Rivals.com…Was chosen to play in the 2008 Big 33 Football Classic, an all-star game featuring players from Ohio and Pennsylvania…Was named to the All-Midwest Team by both SuperPrep and PrepStar…Earned The Associated Press Division I All-Ohio and Southwest All-District first-team honors following a senior season that saw him rack up 50 tackles, 10½ sacks and 12 QB hurries, seven passes defensed and two fumble recoveries…Registered 54 tackles and four sacks as a junior…Also lettered twice in track and once in wrestling.
PERSONAL: Given name Jerel Nicholas Worthy…Born in Dayton, Ohio…Single…Mother, Stephanie, played basketball at Central State University outside of Dayton and his two uncles, Charles Miller and Amzie Smith, played football at Tennessee State…Is active with the Athletes in Action sports ministry and was also a member of a multicultural student group at Michigan State...Grew up working at his local church, helping with cleaning and labor jobs, also serving in a similar capacity while in college, working at the defense and aerospace development firm Demmer Corporation in Lansing…Enjoys fishing, playing video games and collecting Air Jordan sneakers…Is a close friend of New York Giants LB Greg Jones and NBA player Draymond Green, who both also starred at Michigan State…Lists Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter and DeMarcus Ware as his favorite athletes, Any Given Sunday as his favorite movie and Jay-Z as his favorite musical artist…Took a trip to Miami during spring break his junior year of college and named it as his favorite place to visit on vacation...Residence: Dayton, Ohio.
