North Carolina State University Athletics
Irving Selected by Broncos in NFL Draft
4/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 29, 2011
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State linebacker Nate Irving was selected today by the Denver Broncos with the third pick of the third round in the NFL Draft.
Irving played in 34 games with 26 starts over three seasons with the Wolfpack. He finished his career with 233 total tackles, including 39.5 tackles for a loss of 149 yards, seven forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, four interceptions, nine pass breakups and 11 quarterback pressures.
As a senior, Irving tied for the team lead with 97 total tackles and served as one of three team captains. He collected first-team All-American honors from Scout.com, while taking second-team from Walter Camp and third-team from the Associated Press. Named the nation's "elite" linebacker by the College Football Performance Awards, Irving also collected first-team All-ACC honors and was a co-recipient of the ACC's prestigious Piccolo Award, given annually to the league's "most courageous" player.
Last season Irving set an NCAA FBS single-game record for tackles for loss with eight against Wake Forest. Prior to that he was named the Walter Camp National Defensive player of the Week for his play in the Pack's win at Georgia Tech, in which he registered a career-best 16 total tackles.
Irving was seriously injured in a car wreck on June 28, 2009, suffering a compound fracture of the tibia, a broken rib, a punctured lung and a separated shoulder. Following surgery, Irving underwent a lengthy rehab due to the severity of his injuries and the number of body parts that were affected.
Following an extensive rehab regimen, he returned to the practice field for spring drills and moved to middle linebacker for his final season.
