Dave Ball 96| With
the 133rd selection in the draft, the Chargers used their first of two
fifth-round picks to grab Dave Ball. He tied for first in the nation last
season with 16.5 sacks en route to capturing All-America honors. Ball says
it was his proudest accomplishment as a Bruin. An honor roll student, Dave
and his twin brother, Matt, were bookend defensive linemen at UCLA and Dave
left the Westwood campus as the school’s all-time leader in career sacks.
College: Shattered school sack record with 30.5, easily surpassing previous mark of 26.5 by Eric Smith...second in school annals with 43.5 tackles for loss. 2003: First-team All-America by Football Writers Association, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Football Foundation and Sporting News...third-team All-America by NFL Draft Report...ABC-Chevrolet National Defensive Player of Year...Pac-10 Defensive Player of Year and first-team all-conference...recipient of Morris Trophy as Pac-10’s top lineman...tied for first in nation and set school record with 16.5 sacks...led team and fifth-most tackles for loss in team history (20.5)...named USAToday National Player of Week and Pac-10 Player of Week after 3.5 sack performance against Washington. 2002: Second-team All-Pac-10...named to Director’s Honor Roll ...11 sacks was fifth-most in season in school history. 2001: Honorable mention All-Pac-10...had season-high three sacks against Washington. 2000: Played in every game as true freshman...degree in history. Personal: Born Jan. 4, 1981 in Fairfield, California...Prep Star All-America at Dixon High School in Dixon, Calif....Super Prep All-Far West and Tacoma News-Tribune Western 100...league defensive player of year as senior...all-state, all-metro and all-area choice...High School Hall of Fame inductee for Northern California...selected to play in California-Texas Shrine All-Star Game...played basketball for three years... resides in San Diego. |
OVERVIEW Emerged as one of the premier pass rushers in college football as a senior, joining Southern California's Kenechi Udeze and Washington State's D.D. Acholonu in leading the NCAA Division I-A ranks in quarterback sacks, as the trio averaged 1.27 sacks per game in 2003 … A mainstay on the Bruins' defensive line, he started 39 of his last 42 contests at UCLA … Blessed with a high motor, he plays well with leverage and uses his hands and speed to his advantage on his pass rush, showing great quickness coming off the edge … Also excelled in the class room, twice earning the Director's Honor Roll in the Winter 2002 (3.00 GPA) and Spring 2002 (3.10) semesters … Had the pleasure of competing on the football field alongside his twin brother, Matt, who started at the other defensive end slot … Finished his career with 139 tackles (93 solos), 30½ sacks for minus-212 yards, 43½ stops for losses of 232 yards, four fumble recoveries, seven forced fumbles and four deflected passes in 49 contests … His 30½ sacks broke the old school all-time record of 26½ by Eric Smith (1984-86, 88) and his 43½ stops behind the line of scrimmage is topped only by Carnell Lake's 45½ (1985-88) in UCLA history … Recorded a sack in 18 of his last 24 games. ANALYSIS Positives: Has an athletic frame with adequate muscle definition, thick thighs and calves and a broad chest … Very quick to break down and react to plays … Shows a good short-area burst and lateral agility to work down the line … Instinctive locating the ball, doing a nice job of recognizing traps … Plays with leverage and uses his hands effectively to control and disengage … Plays at a high intensity level, showing consistency in his effort to get to the ball … Gets a good push off the edge and has a quick swim move to generate a pass rush … Has the acceleration needed to close on the quarterback … Shows the leg drive and hand strength to control and adjust off blocks … Has made good improvement in redirecting coming on the back side … Shows the power to stack vs. double teams. Negatives: Still needs to improve his overall strength and add needed bulk and muscle mass to his frame … Can stack most of the time, but his lack of bulk causes the larger blockers to wash him out when working in trash … More effective as a pass rusher, as he struggles to stay low in his pads to prevent the cut block on run force … Tends to lean into blockers at times, resulting in him getting turned and blocked … Gets a little frustrated when his initial move fails to work (has good rip and swim moves in isolated situations, but needs to deliver more force with his club move). AGILITY TESTS 5.07 in the 40-yard dash … Bench presses 225 pounds 24 times … 31¾-inch arm length … 9-inch hands … Right-handed. HIGH SCHOOL Attended Dixon (Calif.) High, playing football for coach Tom Crumpacker … Earned three letters as a defensive end … Prep Star All-American and rated the No. 12 defensive lineman in the Western Region … Ranked fifth (tied) among strongside defensive ends by the National Recruiting Advisor … Cornwell All-American … Super Prep All-Far West (No. 53 player in the California/Arizona/Hawaii region) … Member of Tacoma News-Tribune Western 100 … Selected league's defensive Player of the Year as a senior … Made 73 tackles (31 solos) and accounted for 18 sacks, 31 stops for losses, 10 pass break-ups and nine forced fumbles … First-team all-state and all-metro, High School Hall of Fame inductee for Northern California and selected to play in the annual California-Texas Shrine All-Star Game … All-state and all-area pick as a junior after making 85 tackles, including 13 sacks and 22 tackles for loss … Also caused six fumbles and recovered two … Team was ranked sixth in the state (Division III) and first in the league and area … Set school career records for sacks with 31 and tackles for loss with 53 … Also played three years of basketball (forward) for coach George Skezas. PERSONAL History major … Earned a spot on the Director's Honor Roll in the Winter 2002 (3.00) and Spring 2002 (3.10) semesters … Twin brother, Mat, also played on the UCLA football team … Son of Elizabeth and Robert Ball … Born David Stewart Ball on Jan. 4, 1981 in Fairfield, Calif. … Resides in Dixon, Calif. Courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com, Powered by The Sports Xchange. Via NFL.com |