Rodney Paulk

Sixth-year senior linebacker… one of two sixth-year players on the squad, along with offensive lineman Terrence Campbell… hopes to be closer to 100 percent physically after playing with a brace that restricted his movement in 2010… penciled in as the starter at the ‘Will’ linebacker position entering the fall… limited in the spring after having his knee scoped. 2010: Played in all 14 games… recorded 32 total tackles including 23 solo stops… credited with 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks… had a season-best five tackles at Auburn… recorded four tackles in games vs. Troy, Arkansas and Tennessee… finished with three tackles against Alabama, including a career-high 1.5 sacks… also had three stops vs. Southern Miss, Clemson, and Kentucky… named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. 2009: Junior linebacker who suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in the season opening win at NC State… logged six tackles prior to the season-ending injury… granted his second medical redshirt. 2008: Injured his knee in August… tried to play through it, but was not able to continue after seeing limited time in each of the first four games… credited with five tackles, including a tackle for loss… granted a medical redshirt. 2007: Ranked fourth on the squad with 64 tackles, including 41 solo stops… started all 12 games… recorded 4.5 tackles for loss, including a 10-yard sack at Georgia… had a season-high seven tackles against the Bulldogs and matched that total against LSU and at North Carolina… logged six stops against Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Clemson… named the Harold White GPA Award winner for the defense and the Everyday Effort Award winner for the defense following the spring drills. 2006: Earned second-team Freshman All-America honors from Sporting News and first-team Freshman All-SEC accolades from the coaches and Sporting News… started 10 of 13 games, the most starts of any of the freshmen, including nine of the last 10… credited with 36 tackles, including 26 solos… had 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack… recovered a fumble against FAU… had a season-high six stops vs. Wofford. High School: Local product who graduated from Richland Northeast High in 2006… coached by Jay Frye… led RNE to the Class 4A Division II title game… rated as the #9 player in the state by Rivals.com and was also tabbed as the #19 inside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com… led Richland Northeast to a 13-2 record and a state runner-up finish his senior year… competed for the South Carolina squad at the 2005 Shrine Bowl… selected to the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team… All-Area selection by The State and was an All-State honoree by the High School Sports Report… made an eye-popping 174 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 12 sacks… was a finalist for the state’s Mr. Football Award, presented by the South Carolina Auto Dealers Association… also competed in basketball, soccer and wrestling… honor roll student… chose South Carolina over offers from Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Kentucky. Personal: Rodney Wellington Paulk has a degree in marine science… brother, Leonard, plays at East Carolina… his cousin, Tim Paulk, was an all-SEC linebacker at Florida in 1990 and 1991.

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