OVERVIEW
Lots of major college recruiters are regretting that they did not pursue the Bulls' outstanding rush end during his senior season at Westwood High School. Most of his opponents felt the wrath from that slight, as Mack would go on to tie the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision modern day record with 75.0 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. His hard-hitting style of play also benefitted the Buffalo offense, as he established another major college all-time record by causing 16 fumbles.
Among active major college players, Mack leads the way with his tackle-for-loss and caused fumble totals. His average of 1.56 tackles-for-loss per game not only led the active players, but rank ninth in NCAA history. His 62.0 solo tackles behind the line of scrimmage topped the active performers, along with his tackle-for-loss yardage figure (356). He ranks fourth with 25.0 solo sacks, 28.5 total sacks (seventh on the Mid-American Conference all-time record list) and third with sacklost yardage totals of 217 yards.
Mack is best when allowed to roam the field, as his high amount of turnovers caused and stops behind the line of scrimmage is proof positive that he is equally comfortable playing off the line and covering receivers in the short area, as he is when rushing the passer, whether coming off the edge as a pass rusher or bull rushing up the middle from the defensive tackle position.
Mack decided to accept a scholarship offer from the University of Buffalo, citing the campus environment and the new coaching staff for the reason he signed his national letter-of-intent on February 4th, 2009. He would red-shirt as a scout team outside linebacker that season, but emerged from 2010 camp as the team's starting rush end/ strong-side linebacker. He finished third on the team with 68 tackles, pacing the Bulls while ranking second in the Mid-American Conference with 14.5 stops-for-loss.
The Freshman All-American spent more time at outside linebacker than in the trenches as a red-shirt sophomore in 2011. He earned All-MAC first-team accolades, delivering 65 tackles with 4.5 sacks, leading the conference with 20.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, which rank as the third-best season total in school history. His five forced fumbles that campaign are tied for second on the Bulls' annual record chart. In 11 other 2012 starting assignments, Mack delivered a team-high 94 tackles, picking up All-MAC and All-American honors. His 21.0 stops-for-loss led the league and ranked fourth nationally, in addition to taking over the second spot on the school season-record list. He also caused four more fumbles, fourth-best in a season by a Bull and led the team with eight tackles from the strong-side linebacker position.
As a senior, Mack was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American, putting together a stellar final campaign. For the second-straight year, he led the Bulls with a career-high 100 tackles. His 10.5 sacks led the MAC and were good for 15th in the nation, as he also led the league with 19 stops behind the line of scrimmage, causing five fumbles in the process. He also intercepted three passes, returning two for touchdowns.
Mack received an invitation to close out his college career in Mobile, Alabama, as a member of the 2014 Senior Bowl roster, but declined to concentrate on performing at the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine. He did more than impress teams with his performance in Indianapolis – he dazzled them. Mack's 4.65-second 40-yard dash was fourth-best for all linebackers attending the event. Mack was second among the 2014 linebackers and ninth among all players at his position attending the Combine for the last decade with a 40-inch vertical jump. His broad jump of 10'-08" was also second among this year's linebacker crop and seventh-best for the position players in the last 10 years.
CAREER NOTES
Mack started all 48 games that he appeared in for Buffalo, recording 327 tackles (186 solos) that included 28.5 sacks for minus 217 yards, 75.0 stops for losses totaling 356 yards and 31 quarterback pressures…Caused 16 fumbles and recovered three others, as he gained 148 yards with two touchdowns via four interceptions and deflected 21 other tosses…NCAA Career-Record Results…Mack's 16 forced fumbles topped the old major college record of 14 that was shared by Antwan Peek of Cincinnati (2000-02), Terrell Suggs of Arizona State (2000-02), Kenechi Udeze of Southern California (2001-03) and Ryan Kerrigan of Purdue (2007-10). Chris Borland of Wisconsin (15) also passed that trio in 2013 to place second behind Mack on the FBS all-time chart…Mack's 75.0 tackles-for-loss tied the NCAA modern day record (since the 2000 season) that was first established by Jason Babin of Western Michigan (2000-03). They are the only two players top post at least seventy stops-for-loss since the NCAA began to officially recognize that category…His average of 1.563 tackles-for-loss per game is the ninth-best mark in the NCAA record book…Mid-American Conference Career-Record Results…Mack's 75.0 tackles-for-loss tied Babin for second on the league charts, topped by Brian Pillman of Miami, Ohio (77.0; 1980-83…Note-The MAC first began recognizing this category in 1979)…His 28.5 sacks rank seventh in conference history and his 16 forced fumbles set the MAC record…School Career-Record Results…Mack's 28.5 sacks surpassed the previous school record of 24.0 that is shared by Rich Dadabo (1989-92) and Vince Canosa (1992-95)…His 75.0 tackles-for-loss shattered the old Bulls mark of 50.5 by Canosa.
2013 SEASON
Mack was named the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year as well as the Jack Lambert Award winner (given to the nation's top linebacker by the Touchdown Club of Columbus)…Finished second to Alabama's C.J. Mosley in the voting for Butkus Award and received All-American first-team recognition from The NFL Draft Report, Football Writers Association of America, Sports Illustrated and CBSSports.com, adding second-team accolades from Walter Camp, Associated Press and USA Today…Named the winner of the 2013 College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Linebacker Trophy…Started all 13 games at strong-side linebacker, leading the team for the second consecutive year with a career-high 100 tackles (56 solos)…Led the league and ranked 15th in the nation with a career-high 10.5 sacks for minus 217 yards, as he also added six quarterback pressures…Led the team and MAC with five forced fumbles…Recovered three fumbles and deflected seven passes…His 19.0 stops for losses of 98 yards was best in the league and ranked 11th nationally…Had at least one stop behind the line of scrimmage in all but the Baylor and San Diego State (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)…Had 2.5 sacks, a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown and nine tackles (7 solos) in the season opener vs. Ohio State…Added 10 hits that included a pair of stops-for-loss vs. Stony Brook and was in on eight hits, a sack and 1.5 tackles-for-loss vs. Connecticut…Posted a sack to go with a 35-yard interception return for a score vs. Massachusetts…Followed with 10 tackles (8 solos), a sack and a 45-yard runback of his third pass theft vs. Kent State…Caused three fumbles among his eight tackles (7 solos) and three sacks vs. Miami (Oh.) and made 2.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage while registering twelve tackles vs. Bowling Green.
2012 SEASON
Mack earned second-team All-American recognition from The NFL Draft Report and honorable mention from Sports Illustrated, as the All-MAC first-team pick started all 11 games he appeared in…The strong-side linebacker led the league and ranked fourth in the nation with 21.0 stops for losses of 98 yards, adding eight sacks for minus 63 yards and four QB pressures…Blocked one kick and deflected two passes…Led the team and ranked 10th in the MAC with 94 tackles (52 solos)…Made his season debut with eight tackles (3.5 for loss) and 1.5 sacks vs. Morgan State…Set a season-high with eight solo tackles, also recording two sacks and four tackles for loss vs. Kent State…Forced a fumble, had one sack, and 3.5 tackles for loss at Connecticut…Added a sack and a forced fumble in a win over Western Michigan…Had one of the best single games of his career, with a career high 15 tackles (3.5 for loss), a career high 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in a comeback win over Massachusetts…Ended the season with 10 tackles (2.5 for loss) at Bowling Green.
2011 SEASON
The first-team All-MAC and Sports Illustrated All-American honorable mention was the focal point of nearly every offenses' blocking scheme, but Mack still managed to lead the team and tie for fourth in the league with 5.5 sacks for minus 35 yards…Paced the MAC while finishing third in the nation with 20.5 stops for losses of 74 yards…Finished fourth on the squad with 65 tackles (38 solos), leading the MAC with five forced fumbles, as he also deflected two passes and was credited with a career-high 13 quarterback pressures…Started the season with five tackles (two for loss), a sack, a forced fumble and a pass breakup vs. Pittsburgh...Earned the MAC East defensive player of the week honors and College Football Performance Awards' Linebacker of the week after eight tackles, a sack, 3.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, an interception and three quarterback hurries vs. Stony Brook…Had a season-high 11 tackles vs. Ball State and led the team to a 38-37 win over Ohio thanks to five tackles (2.5 for loss), a half sack and a forced fumble…Tore apart the Akron backfield for five solo tackles (three for loss), two sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked punt.
2010 SEASON
Mack received Freshman All-American honors from The NFL Draft Report, as the third-team All-MAC choice started all twelve games at strong-side linebacker…Ranked third on the team with 68 tackles (40 solos), as he caused two fumblers, deflected a team-best 10 passes and had eight quarterback pressures…Totaled 4.5 sacks for minus 40 yards and ranked second in the MAC with a team-high 14.5 stops for losses of 86 yards…Broke up two passes, got a half sack and made three tackles in the season opener vs. Rhode Island...Had five tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss vs. Central Florida and wreaked havoc on the Bowling Green offense, making nine tackles, four of which were for a loss of 37 total yards, a forced fumble and a sack…Added a season-high 10 tackles vs. Temple and had a sack and six tackles, one for loss, vs. Miami (Oh.)…Torched Ohio University with seven tackles, a sack and a forced fumble…Made three tackles for loss vs. Eastern Michigan and vs. Akron he delivered seven tackles, two for loss, and two pass breakups.
2009 SEASON
Redshirted in his first season at Buffalo.
HIGH SCHOOL
Mack attended Westwood (Fort Pierce, Fla.) High School, playing football for head coach Waides Ashmon…Received a two-star recruit mark from both Scout.com and Rivals.com… The first-team All-Area and third-team All-State selection in football-rich Florida helped lead the Panthers to the district title as a senior…Recorded 140 tackles with nine sacks, a total of 13 stops behind the line of scrimmage, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 2008.
PERSONAL
Mack is a General Studies major…Born 2/22/91…Resides in Fort Pierce, Florida.
