Player Info: LB Anthony Spencer Bios
Monday, October 08, 2007 at 06:05:25 pm

PICTURES

Anthony Spencer #93
Linebacker
6'3' 265 1/23/84
Purdue D-1 for '07 (26th overall)
NFL: Rookie Cowboys: Rookie

COLLEGE: With new Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips' emphasis on athletic pass rushers, Spencer was a strong choice as the 26th pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. At the combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds and ran 20 yards in 2.78. He can bench press 500 pounds and is very agile for a 265-pound player. He is strong enough to bull rush opposing linemen and fast enough to offer a change of pace. A defensive end in college, he will play outside linebacker in the NFL. In 47 games at Purdue, Spencer started 36 games, making 155 tackles (106 solos), two fumble recoveries, 13 pass deflections, and a blocked kick. He ranked fifth in school history with 21 sacks and ranked seventh with 44 tackles for a loss. His 11 forced fumbles rank second in school history. During the Cowboys' OTA's and minicamps this spring, Spencer stepped in for Greg Ellis at strongside linebacker while Ellis rehabbed his Achilles injury.

2006: Spencer earned first-team All-American honors from The NFL Draft Report, second-team honors from Rivals.com and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, third-team honors from The Associated Press, and honorable mention from Pro Football Weekly. He was also a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, given to the top defensive end in the nation, and a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy, given to the defensive impact player of the year. He earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors from the league's coaches and media and was named Big Ten Player of the Week in back-to-back games, against Notre Dame and Minnesota. He was the Boilermakers' defensive co-captain and started all year at strongside defensive end, ranking second on the team with a career-high 93 tackles (69 solos). He led the team with 10.5 sacks, which ranked seven in school history. He also had 26.5 tackles for a loss, which ranked first in the Big Ten; second in the nation; second in school history, behind Jeff Zgonina's 28 in 1992; and fifth in Big Ten history. Spencer also had five quarterback pressures, one blocked kick, six pass deflections, five forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Despite playing with a sore knee against Notre Dame, Spencer made a career-high 15 tackles (seven solo), the most by a Purdue defensive end since 1997. He also made a pass deflection and 4.5 tackles for a loss. In a 27-21 win over Minnesota, he was named the Big Ten's Player of the Week after making a then career-high 10 tackles (nine solo), two sacks, three tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

2005: Spencer started all 11 games at strongside defensive end. He made 23 tackles (16 solos), three sacks, and 7.5 tackles for a loss. He also had three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one pass deflection.

2004: As a sophomore, he was named to Ted Hendricks Award watch list and went on to earn All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention from the league's coaches and media. He started every game at strongside defensive end and tied for the conference lead with three forced fumbles. He made 33 tackles (18 solos), 7.5 sacks, and 9.5 tackles for a loss. He also deflected six passes.

2003: As a second-year freshman in 2003, he appeared in 10 games as a reserve defensive end but mostly played on special teams. He finished the year with six tackles and played in just one of the first four games because of a foot injury he suffered in spring camp. Spencer was redshirted as a true freshman in 2002.

PERSONAL: Spencer was a three-year starter at nose guard and fullback at Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. He was a two-time all-state selection and three-time all-area and all-conference selection. He was named The Indianapolis Star's Defensive Lineman of the Year as a senior, when his team won the Class 2A state championship. He made 65 tackles, 24 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, seven fumble recoveries, and one interception. As a fullback, he rushed for more than 600 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 9.1 yards per carry. He closed his career as the school's recordholder with 73 tackles for a loss and 27 sacks. He also lettered twice in basketball. Spencer majored in African-American studies at Purdue and minored in law society. Anthony E. Spencer II was born on 1/23/84.