Whitney Mercilus Becomes First Former Illini Player Honored on Big Ten Network All-Decade Team
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Whitney Mercilus becomes the first former Illinois player honored to be selected to the Big Ten Network All-Decade team.
Mercilus, a former Illini defensive end and current Houston Texas pass rusher, was named to the Big Ten Network All-Decade Second Team, the network announced Thursday. Selections to the all-decade teams are being released daily and are honoring players who played in the league from 2010-19. Mercilus was a consensus All-America selection and won the Ted Hendricks Award, given to the nation’s top defensive end, at Illinois in 2011 after one of the best seasons by a defensive player in Fighting Illini history.
Mercilus tied Simeon Rice’s school record for sack in a single season in 2011 with 16, leading the nation in both sack and forced fumbles (nine) while also totaling 22.5 tackles for loss.
Mercilus' list of accolades in 2011 included CFPA National Defensive Performer of the Year, Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist, and Bednarik Award semifinalist. Mercilus finished one forced fumble away from tying the NCAA record (10, Elvis Dumervil, Louisville, 2005). Mercilus, who was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten Conference selection in 2011, led the Illini to a victory in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl over UCLA, the first time in Illinois school history that the program had won bowl games in consecutive seasons.
In his Illinois career, Mercilus finished with 81 tackles, 29.0 TFLs, 18.0 sacks, and 11 forced fumbles. He was drafted 26th overall in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Mercilus has 50.0 sacks and 63.0 TFLs in eight NFL seasons. Mercilus’ Texas team is scheduled to open the 2020 NFL season at the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 10 in the Thursday Night Football contest that represents a rematch of the previous season’s divisional playoff game.
The Big Ten Network’s first-team All-Decade team defensive linemen were Chase Young of Ohio State), Joey Bosa of Ohio State, J.J. Watt of Wisconsin), and Ryan Kerrigan of Purdue.