David Santos Season 2014

Honors & Awards
» Big Ten All-Freshman Team (BTN, 2012)
» Big Ten co-Freshman of the Week (vs. Michigan, 2012)

Senior David Santos is one of the Huskers’ most experienced defenders heading into the 2015 campaign. The 6-0, 225-pound Santos has played a significant role at linebacker for Nebraska each of the past three seasons and has the versatility to play multiple linebacker spots. The Texas native could play a key role for Nebraska’s new coaching staff this fall, but will miss spring ball while recovering from offseason knee surgery.

Santos has shown the ability to hold up against the run, while also effectively dropping into pass coverage. Santos ranked among Nebraska’s top tacklers last season, despite being slowed for the final two months of the season by a knee injury that ultimately kept him out of the bowl game. Santos’ play helped the Nebraska defense rank among the nation’s best in opponent completion percentage, third-down defense and pass efficiency defense.

2014 (Junior)
Santos played in 10 games with eight starts. He was injured against Miami and missed subsequent games with Illinois and Michigan State before returning to action. He also sat out the bowl game against USC. Despite his limited action, Santos was tied for sixth on the team with 50 tackles, including 21 solo stops. He had three tackles for loss and made a key interception against Miami.

Santos opened the year with six tackles in each of the first two games, including a tackle for loss against Florida Atlantic. Santos had a season-high 10 tackles against Miami and had a first-half interception to stop a Hurricane scoring threat. Santos returned to the starting lineup against Rutgers and made five tackles. Santos had nine tackles and a quarterback hurry against Minnesota, then added five tackles and a tackle for loss in the regular-season finale against Iowa.

2013 (Sophomore)
Santos played in all 13 games with 10 starts. Santos started four games early in the year at middle linebacker, before settling in on the outside later in the season. He was second on the team with 87 tackles, including 48 solo stops, seven tackles for loss and two sacks. Santos made at least eight tackles in five games, including double-figure tackle efforts against Wyoming and Minnesota.

He opened the year with 12 tackles against Wyoming. Santos had six tackles, including his first career sack, against South Dakota State. Santos has nine tackles from his spot in the middle against Illinois and led the team with five tackles at Purdue. Santos led the Huskers with a career-high 13 tackles at Minnesota, including seven solo stops. Against Northwestern, Santos had six tackles, a tackle for loss, and added his first career breakup.

Santos started at WILL linebacker at Michigan and made five tackles, including a pair of tackles for loss. He made eight tackles and two tackles for loss against Michigan State, then led NU with nine tackles and a sack at Penn State. Santos capped the year with six tackles in the Gator Bowl win over Georgia.

2012 (Redshirt Freshman)
Santos played in 13 games with a start against Michigan. He made 24 tackles, including 11 solo stops and three tackles for loss. Santos had a season-high 10 tackles and a tackle for loss against Michigan, and earned Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honors for his effort. He made four tackles and a TFL against Penn State and forced a fumble to prevent a Nittany Lion touchdown in the fourth quarter. Santos made three tackles each against Arkansas State and Northwestern.

2011 (Redshirt)
Santos sat out as a redshirt in his first season in 2011.

Before Nebraska (Klein Collins HS)
Santos was a standout at Klein Collins High School, and was one of five Texans in the Huskers’ 2011 signing class. Santos’ play helped Collins High to an 11-1 record and district championship in 2010, before a loss in the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs.