Hokie Club45 - Purnell SturdivantPosition: Linebacker
Class: r-Junior
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 217 lbs.
High School: Lake Taylor
Hometown: Norfolk, Va.
Made big strides during off-season and spring workouts ... Won the Excalibur Award - the top honor in the strength and conditioning program - during the winter ... Carried that over to the field in the spring and was named the team's most improved defensive player ... Has become a solid No. 2 man at the backer position ... Also contributes as a starter on special teams ... Combines speed and athleticism with good strength ... Will play an important role for the Hokies this fall.
2006: Saw reserve duty at linebacker ... Started on the kickoff return team and worked with three other units ... Played 19 defensive plays in the opener against Northeastern ... Was in on four tackles ... Had two tackles on defense at UNC ... Registered three total tackles in the Duke game ... Saw action on 10 special team plays versus UC ... Saw action on 13 plays against Southern Miss, registering a tackle ... Graded over 90 percent on two special team units and got a brief stint on defense against Kent State ... Turned in a big hit on special teams during the Wake Forest game ... Had 10 total tackles on the season ... Earned Super Iron Hokie honors during spring testing ... Posted a personal-best 39 1/2-inch vertical jump ... Won the Dr. Richard Bullock Award as the most improved defensive player of spring practice.
2005: Playing time was limited to special teams ... Practiced at the backer position ... Started every game on the kickoff team ... Had one tackle each against NCSU, Ohio, Georgia Tech, Virginia and UNC ... Posted four tackles in the ACC Championship game against Florida State ... Finished the season with nine total tackles ... Earned Iron Hokie recognition during the off-season ... Improved in all four major lifts, including a 580-pound back squat ... Also posted a 38 1/2-inch vertical jump, which was the third-best on the team ... Missed most of spring practice while battling mono.
2004: Was redshirted while working with the scout team ... Practiced at rover, but was moved to the backer linebacker spot in the spring ... Posted a 530-pound back squat, a 294-pound push jerk and a 37 1/2-inch vertical jump in spring testing.
High School: A two-way player who was named All-Eastern District and All-Eastern Region as both a linebacker and running back ... Rushed for 1,359 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior ... Racked up 97 tackles, four sacks and three interceptions from his linebacker spot ... Named the Eastern Region Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior ... Earned Eastern District Player of the Year award in 2003 ... Gained 603 yards on 106 carries his junior year, scoring 10 touchdowns ... Helped his team to the state playoffs three consecutive seasons ... A second-team Group AAA all-state pick by AP as a senior ... First-team All-Tidewater linebacker by the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot ... Rated the No. 13 prospect in the state by both SuperPrep and The Roanoke Times ... Named All-Atlantic region by PrepStar ... Competed in the long jump, shot put, 200 meters and 4x100 relay as a member of the track team.
Personal: Purnell Joshua Sturdivant ... Born 3/19/86 in Norfolk, VA ... Son of Purnell and Terry Sturdivant ... Enrolled in apparel, housing and resource management.
| Tackles | G | UT | AT | Tot. | Loss | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2006 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2007 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 2.5-16 | 2-16 |
| Career | 40 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 2.5-16 | 2-16 |
| Interceptions | G | No. | Yds. | Avg. | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 14 | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 0 | 14 |
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