| Joe Birdsong |
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2007 (Sophomore):
Started six of the first nine games at right tackle ... Missed the final three regular season games while nursing an ankle injury ... Returned to action against Connecticut in the Meineke Car Care Bowl ... Graded out at 86.8% (third-best on the team) on 448 snaps ... Made 34 knockdown blocks on the season, fifth-best on the squad ... Season-high five knockdowns vs. Maryland (Sept. 22) and Navy (Oct. 20).
2006 (Redshirt Freshman):
Played 11 games in a reserve capacity at tackle and as a special teams contributor ... Played 168 snaps, approximately 20 percent of all offensive plays ... Saw his playing time increase when senior starter Arby Jones went down in week three with a sprained MCL ... Earned a season grade of 81 percent to go with 24 knockdowns ... Had a season-best performance against Liberty with 37 snaps, a 95 percent grade and 6.5 knockdowns ... Made the Dean's List.
2005 (True Freshman):
Redshirted the season.
Background:
Rated by Rivals.com as the 16th-best player in Tennessee ... Helped lead Montgomery Bell to state titles as a sophomore and junior and a semifinals appearance as a senior ... Helped Montgomery Bell to a No. 15 national ranking by USA Today. ... Was named second team AP All-State in all divisions as a senior ... Named first team all-state as a junior and senior in Division II-AAA ... Named by Prepstar to the All-Southeast team ... Totaled 137 pancake blocks in his career and never allowed a sack ... Benched 325, squatted 405 and had a vertical leap of 26 inches ... A two-year letterwinner in track.
Personal:
Majoring in Communication ... Father, John, played football at Vanderbilt ... Chose Wake Forest for its small size, coaching staff and academics ... Coached at Montgomery Bell Academy by former NFL quarterback Jeff Rutledge ... Parents are John and Cynthia Birdsong ... Born March 18, 1987 ... Chose Wake Forest over offers from Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.
