One of top safeties in the BIG EAST and the country … named preseason second-team All-American by Phil Steele’s and first team all-BIG EAST … tabbed the BIG EAST’s “Hardest Hitter” by The Sporting News … also named all-BIG EAST by Yahoo! Sports, Sporting News and Athlon Sports … had a breakout season as a sophomore, earning first-team all-BIG EAST honors by the league coaches and Phil Steele and second team by rivals.com … returns for his third year as the starter at free safety … a defensive playmaker who has good size and frame … 18 career starts … led the BIG EAST in passes defended (13) and tied for the lead in interceptions (5) … Athletic Director’s Academic Honor Roll … bowl trips: 2008 Meineke, 2010 Gator.
2009 (So.): Played in all 13 games and started nine … selected for the WVU Gridiron Gladiator Award by the coaching staff … BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week: Pitt … WVU Defensive Champion: Syracuse, USF, Pitt … saw action on more than 660 plays, including a season-high 81 plays against UConn … also registered 50 or more plays in eight games … fifth-leading tackler on the team with 65 total tackles, including 37 solo stops, 3.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions and eight pass breakups … collected a team-high 13 tackles, including nine solo stops and two tackles for loss against Florida State in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl … posted seven tackles and assisted on a tackle for loss at Rutgers … tallied seven tackles, including five solo stops, an interception and a game-high three pass breakups against Pitt … collected his team-leading fourth interception of the season at Cincinnati, returning it nine yards … also had four tackles, including three solo stops and a three-yard tackle for loss … three tackles and a fumble recovery against Louisville … registered six tackles, including five unassisted and two pass breakups at USF … collected seven tackles, including five solo stops and a pass breakup against Connecticut … had two tackles and an interception against Marshall … assisted on a tackle at Syracuse … posted eight tackles and had an interception against Colorado … assisted on a tackle at Auburn … two tackles and two pass breakups against East Carolina … assisted on four tackles and had his first career interception against Liberty.
2008 (Fr.): Played in all 13 games and started nine … WVU Defensive Champion: Auburn, Connecticut … saw action on more than 580 plays, including a season-high 58 plays against Cincinnati … collected 33 tackles and a forced fumble for the year … two tackles and forced the fumble which led to the winning touchdown against North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl … season-high five tackles, including four unassisted at Connecticut … posted four tackles against Marshall, Rutgers and Cincinnati … also had two tackles against Auburn … three tackles at Pitt … three solo tackles at Louisville …two solo tackles against USF.
Prep: Coached by Walter Frazier at Miami Carol City Senior High … selected second-team all-state by the Miami Herald … Dade County Top 25 by the Miami Herald … collected 60 tackles as a senior … had two interceptions and broke up five passes against the nation’s No. 5 team, Booker T. Washington High … registered 60 tackles as a junior … helped lead the Chiefs to the second round of the state playoffs … he also ran track … finished third in the state in the triple jump … selected first-team All-Dade County.
Personal: birthday is Nov. 3 … son of Veronica Sands … enrolled in general studies.
