Starter at the right guard position on the offensive line … gets to level two as fast as any lineman ... good technician with great athletic skills and quickness for his size ... accumulated 25 starts in his career … Athletic Director’s Academic Honor Roll ... BIG EAST Academic All-Star … previous bowl trips: 2005 Gator, 2006 Sugar, 2007 Gator, 2008 Fiesta.
2008 Preseason Honors: Lindy’s Sports Magazine: named offensive line No. 4 nationally … Athlon Sports: third-team All-BIG EAST … named offensive line No. 1 nationally … Phil Steele’s Football Magazine: third-team All-BIG EAST.
2007 (r-Jr.): Played in 13 games and started 12 … started the season at right tackle and moved to guard before the Rutgers game … saw action in 60 or more plays in 11 games … season-high 88 plays at USF … collected 36 knockdowns … season-high six knockdowns against Western Michigan and Marshall … helped pave the way for the offense to produce two 1,000-yard rushers … offense averaged 6.2 yards a carry, 297.2 yards a game rushing and 456.2 in total offense … Mountaineers ranked No. 3 nationally in rushing offense, tied for No. 5 for fewest sacks allowed (13), No. 9 in scoring offense and No. 15 in total offense.
2006 (r-So.): Starter at right tackle ... 20 knockdowns for season ... average game grade: 88.4% ... five knockdowns in Louisville game ... helped the offense average 38.8 points per game and 461.4 yards per contest … WVU ranked No. 4 nationally in rushing, averaging 272.4 yards per game.
2005 (r-Fr.): Earned a letter in 2005 as the backup to Garin Justice at right tackle.
2004 (Fr.): Did not see varsity action.
Prep: Led Coach Bob Mitchell’s Northwestern Lehigh Tigers to a 9-3 mark as a senior ... first team all-state from AP and Pennsylvania Football News ... Morning Call and Times-News all-area ... first team all-Colonial League ... team went 11-3 winning the district championship his junior year ... also a basketball letterman ... National Honor Society and high honor roll.
Personal: Birthday is Sept. 16 ... son of David and Irene Figner ... one of two children … majoring in biochemistry.
