44 Merrill Robertson

Class: Senior Hometown: Richmond, Va. High School: L.C. Bird H.S. Height / Weight: 6-1 / 248 Position: LB Experience: 3L

WORTH NOTING: Very athletic player who is looking to bounce back from an injury plagued season last fall … expected to contend for a starting spot at inside linebacker alongside Angelo Crowell this season.

AT VIRGINIA: 2001— Played in nine games, starting four … third among team’s inside linebackers with 29 tackles … had three tackles for lost yardage, including two sacks … earned a starting nod at inside linebacker heading into the season … started against Wisconsin in the opener and made five tackles, including a sack … missed the next two games due to an injury … returned to action against Duke with three stops and his second sack … made his second start of the season against Maryland and responded with a career-high eight tackles … had three tackles the next week in a starting assignment vs. North Carolina … six tackles against Florida State and three vs. N.C. State in reserve roles … made his final start of the season against Wake Forest but was injured early in the game and missed the Georgia Tech game … earned third letter. 2000—Played in all 11 regular season games and against Georgia in the Jeep O’ahu Bowl ... among UVa’s three-man rotation at defensive end ... made his first career start against Georgia in the bowl game ... finished the regular season with 34 tackles (19 solo, 15 assists) ... had a career-high six tackles vs. Richmond in the second game ... tied that performance with six tackles two weeks later vs. Clemson ... also broke up a pass against the Tigers ... had five tackles against both Maryland and Florida State ... one of his tackles against Maryland was for lost yardage ... totaled four tackles, including a quarterback sack, and broke up a pass in a big win over North Carolina ... posted three tackles against Georgia Tech ... was in on two tackles against both Brigham Young and Wake Forest ... one tackle vs. Duke ... recovered a fumble in the regular season finale at Virginia Tech ... had two total tackles, including one for a loss, against Georgia in the O’ahu Bowl ... lettered. 1999—Played in all 11 regular season games and against Illinois in the Micronpc.com Bowl … spent the preseason practice period and the first five games at fullback … moved to defensive end prior to the N.C. State game due to the team’s lack of depth at the position … also played on several special teams … was primarily a lead blocker at fullback and didn’t have any carries or pass receptions … made an immediate impact on defense … had two tackles vs. N.C. State in his defensive debut … recorded a sack of the Wolfpack’s backup quarterback and broke up two passes at the line of scrimmage … had a then career-high five tackles, including one behind the line, against Florida State … five tackles the next week vs. Georgia Tech … four stops vs. Buffalo and three against Maryland … two solo tackles vs. Illinois in the bowl game ... lettered.

HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Fork Union Military Academy during the 1998-99 academic year ... 1998 graduate of L.C. Bird High School ... played fullback at Fork Union for head coach John Shuman ... rushed for 840 yards and 13 touchdowns ... helped lead Fork Union to state title ... earned three letters in football at L.C. Bird … played fullback and linebacker for head coach Ron Paquette … named Region and Metro Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at L.C. Bird ... first-team All-State ... three-time All-District selection … All-Region second team as a running back his junior year … during his senior year at L.C. Bird, he set school records for most tackles in a season (124, including 12 sacks), most yards gained by a fullback in a season (1,066) and rushing average (10.2 yards per carry) ... also caught seven passes for 50 yards as a senior ... intercepted three passes and recovered five fumbles on defense as a senior ... for his career at L.C. Bird, he rushed 260 times for 2,416 yards … had 18 career receptions for 165 yards … had two runs of over 80 yards and one 76-yard run during his high school career ... posted 239 career tackles, including 20 career sacks ... also intercepted six passes and recovered eight fumbles ... also played basketball at L.C. Bird.

PERSONAL: Merrill Robertson … born 1-26-80 in Richmond, Va. … son of Merrill and Jeri Robertson … has two younger brothers, Jerry (18) and Walter (14) ... anthropology major.

Robertson Defensively