Travis Carpenter

Position:
Linebacker
Height:
6-1
Weight:
225
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Clyde, Texas
High School:
Clyde HS

Carpenter enters his senior season as one of the leading contenders for the Gene Upshaw Award, which honors the top offensive or defensive lineman in NCAA Division II football. Carpenter will start at defensive end in 2007 after a breakthrough 2006 season. He's already been selected a pre-season first team all-America by Street and Smith's magazine.

2006 (Junior): Carpenter made the switch from standup outside linebacker to hand-on-the-ground defensive end flawlessly in 2006. As a first time defensive end, Carpenter led the Lone Star Conference in sacks (9.0), sacks per game (0.82), tackles for loss (15.5 for minus-80 yards) and tackles for loss per game (1.41). He was 20th in NCAA Division II football in sacks per game. He was named first team all-LSC South Division, first team NCAA all-Southwest Region by both Don Hansen's Football Gazette and Daktronics, and was second team Little all-America by the Associated Press. He was at his best in ACU's three biggest games of the season: at Southeastern Oklahoma State on Sept. 16 and in both games against West Texas A&M. In ACU's 51-14 road win over then-No. 10 Southeastern Oklahoma State, Carpenter had six tackles (six solo), four tackles for loss, three sacks for minus-22 yards, one forced fumble and one pass breakup. His performance earned him Lone Star Conference South Division Defensive Player of the Week honors. On Oct. 19, the Wildcats went to Canyon and took on No. 4 West Texas A&M in a game broadcast nationally on CSTV, and Carpenter helped ACU rally from an early 15-0 deficit to take a 49-33 win. In the game he had seven tackles (two solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks (for 15 yards in losses) and one forced fumble. Then in ACU's Nov. 18 playoff game at West Texas A&M, Carpenter was again a disruption to the Buffs' offense with six tackles (two solo), three tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks (for 15 yards in losses). Carpenter finished the season fourth on the team with 53 tackles (27 solo), 15.5 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, one pass breakup, five quarterback hurries, and three forced fumbles. Carpenter is a youth and family ministry major who was an academic all-LSC South Division selection in 2006. He also earned first team academic all-District 6 honors from ESPN The Magazine.

2005 (Sophomore): Finished seventh on the team with 39 tackles, including15 solo stops. He also had 2.0 tackles for loss and one fumble recovery. Had a season-high seven tackles in ACU's 20-14 overtime win at Northeastern State, and had six tackles in the Wildcats' 18-7 road win over nationally ranked Tarleton State. 2004 (Redshirt freshman): Played in 4 games in 2004, coming up with 14 tackles (nine solo) on defense and on special teams.

High school: As a senior at Clyde HS, he was the district defensive MVP and an all-Big Country selection by the Abilene Reporter-News.

Personal: Born 29 Jan 1985. 2003 graduate of Clyde High School.