Getting to Know the 2012 Steelers: DE Ziggy Hood

PRO (48-23/4-3): Drafted by the Steelers in the first round (32^nd overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft…has played in all 32 games during his first two seasons in the NFL, starting 10 of them.

2011 (16-14/1-1): 9/11 at Baltimore: Saw action at DE and on special teams…had one tackle…9/18 vs. Seattle: Saw action at DE and on special teams…had one tackle and three QB pressures…was part of a defense that held the Seahawks to 164 total yards…9/25 at Indianapolis: Started at DE in place of injured DE Brett Keisel…had two tackles and three QB pressures…was part of a defense that held the Colts to 241 total yards…10/2 at Houston: Started at DE in placed of the injured Keisel…had two tackles…10/9 vs. Tennessee: Started at DE in place of injured DE Aaron Smith…had four tackles and four QB pressures, which tied a career high…had a half-sack along with LB LaMarr Woodley…was part of a defense that held the Titans to 66 yards rushing…10/16 vs. Jacksonville: Started at DE in placed of the injured Smith…had two tackles, two QB pressures and one pass breakup…was part of a defense that held the Jaguars to 209 total yards…10/23 at Arizona: Started at DE…had two tackles and two QB pressures…was part of a defense that held the Cardinals to 73 yards rushing…10/30/11 vs. New England: Played in his 40^th career game, starting at DE…had two tackles and two QB pressures…was part of a defense that held the Patriots to 43 yards rushing and 213 total yards…11/6/11 vs. Baltimore: Started at DE…had one tackle and one QB pressure…11/13 at Cincinnati: Started at DE…had three tackles and one QB pressure…11/27 at Kansas City: Started at DE…had one tackle and one QB pressure…12/4 vs. Cincinnati: Started at DE…posted four tackles…12/8 vs. Cleveland: Made his 20^th career start at DE…was part of a defense that held the Browns to three points…12/19 at San Francisco: Started at DE and posted five tackles…12/24 vs. St. Louis: Started at DE…had four tackles and one QB pressure…had one sack for minus-six yards…1/1 at Cleveland: Started at DE…had one tackle…AFC Wild Card 1/8 at Denver: Started at DE…had two tackles and one QB pressure.

2010 (16-10/3-2): Played in all 16 regular-season games, starting 10 of them in place of injured DE Aaron Smith…had 20 tackles, three sacks, 18 QB pressures and two pass breakups…was part of a defense that held opponents to an NFL-best and Steelers’ team-record 62.8 rushing yards per game…started all three postseason contests in place of the injured Smith…finished with 10 tackles and two sacks in the postseason…9/12 vs. Atlanta: Had one tackle…had one QB hurry and one QB pressure…9/19 at Tennessee: Had one QB pressure…was part of a defense that held Tennessee to only 46 yards rushing and forced six Titans’ turnovers…9/26 at Tampa Bay: Had one tackle…had one pass breakup…was part of a defense that limited the Buccaneers to only 75 yards rushing…10/3 vs. Baltimore: Saw action on the defensive line and on special teams…10/17 vs. Cleveland: Had one quarterback pressure…did not record any tackles…was part of a defense that forced three Browns’ turnovers, had five sacks and held the Browns to 70 yards rushing…10/24 at Miami: Played on the defensive line, but did not have any tackles…was part of a defense that held the Dolphins to 64 yards rushing…10/31 at New Orleans: Made his first career start at DE in place of injured DE Aaron Smith…had two tackles…was part of a defense that held the Saints to 30 yards rushing, had two sacks and forced two turnovers…11/8 at Cincinnati: Started at DE for the injured Smith…had two tackles, including one for a loss…had one QB pressure…was part of a defense that held the Bengals to 54 yards rushing and had four sacks…11/14 vs. New England: Started at DE in place of the injured Smith…had one tackle…had three QB pressures…11/21 vs. Oakland: Started at DE in place of the injured Smith…had a career-high three tackles and four QB pressures…was part of a defense that held the Raiders to 61 yards rushing, had six sacks and forced three Oakland turnovers…11/28 at Buffalo: Started at DE in place of the injured Smith…had three QB pressures…had one pass breakup…12/5 at Baltimore: Started at DE in place of the injured Smith…had three tackles…posted a six-yard sack on the Ravens’ first drive of the game, his first of the season and second of his career…12/12 vs. Cincinnati: Started  at DE in place of the inured Smith…was part of a defense that held Cincinnati to 34 yards rushing and had three sacks…12/19 vs. New York Jets: Started at DE in place of the injured Smith…had one tackle…12/23 vs. Carolina: Started at DE for the injured Smith…had one tackle…had two QB pressures…had a seven-yard sack in the fourth quarter, his second sack of the season…was part of a defense that held the Panthers to 119 total yards, had four sacks and forced two turnovers…1/2 at Cleveland: Started at DE for the injured Smith…had five tackles…posted an eight-yard sack in the first quarter, giving him three sacks on the season…had one QB pressure…was part of a defense that had four sacks and forced three turnovers…AFC Divisional Game 1/15 vs. Baltimore: Played in his first postseason contest, starting at DE in place of the injured Smith…had five tackles and two QB pressures…had his first career postseason sack, an eight-yarder…was part of a defense that held the Ravens to 35 yards rushing, had five sacks and forced three turnovers…AFC Championship Game 1/23 vs. New York Jets: Started at DE…had four tackles and one QB pressure…was part of a defense that held the Jets to 70 yards rushing and had two sacks…Super Bowl XLV 2/6 vs. Green Bay: Saw action on the defensive line…had one tackle…had a four-yard sack and had two QB pressures…was part of a defense that had three sacks and held the Packers to 55 yards rushing.

2009 (16-0): Played in all 16 games as a reserve DE and on special teams…had seven tackles and one sack…also had one fumble recovery…9/10 vs. Tennessee: Made his NFL debut as a reserve DE and special teams contributor…9/20 at Chicago: Played in his second consecutive game as a reserve DE and special teams contributor…9/27 at Cincinnati: Played in his third consecutive game as a reserve DE and special teams contributor…10/4 vs. San Diego: Played in his fourth consecutive game as a reserve DE and special teams contributor…10/11 at Detroit: Played in his fifth consecutive game as a reserve DE and special teams contributor…10/18 vs. Cleveland: Played in his sixth consecutive game as a reserve DE and special teams contributor…10/25 vs. Minnesota: Played in his seventh consecutive game as a reserve DE and contributor on special teams…recorded one pressure…11/9 at Denver: Played in his eighth consecutive game as a reserve DE and contributor on special teams…11/15 vs. Cincinnati: Played in his ninth consecutive game as a reserve DE and contributor on special teams…recorded his first career tackle…11/22 at Kansas City: Played in his 10^th consecutive game as a reserve DE and contributor on special teams…recorded one pressure and one pass breakup…11/29 at Baltimore: Played in his 11^th consecutive game as a reserve DE and contributor on special teams…recorded one QB hit…12/6 vs. Oakland: Played in his 12^th consecutive game as a reserve DE and contributor on special teams…recorded three tackles (two solo)…12/10 at Cleveland: Played in his 13^th consecutive game as a reserve DE and a contributor on special teams…12/20 vs. Green Bay: Played in his 14^th consecutive game as a reserve DE and a contributor on special teams…recorded one solo tackle and one pressure…12/27 vs. Baltimore: Played in his 15^th consecutive game…recorded two tackles (one solo) and posted his first sack and fumble recovery of his career…1/3 at Miami: Played in his 16^th consecutive game…recorded two pressures and one QB hit.

COLLEGE: Started the last 31 (35 total) of the 50 games he played in at Missouri…finished his career with 170 tackles (98solos), 15.5 sacks for minus 76 yards, 22.5 stops for losses totaling 111 yards and 22 quarterback pressures…15.5 sacks tied C.J. Mosley (2002-04) for seventh on the school’s all-time record list…forced five fumbles and had three fumble recoveries…deflected eight passes and blocked one kick…majored in biology. 2008: Consensus All-Big Twelve Conference first-team selection…Academic All-Big Twelve second-team…team captain and named the Tigers’ Defensive Lineman of the Year… started all 14 games at weakside defensive tackle, recording a career-high 62 tackles (31 solos)…ranked second on the team with five sacks for minus 37 yards and had seven stops for losses of 42 yards…credited with 12 quarterback pressures, as he recovered two fumbles, deflected a pair of passes and blocked one kick. 2007: Honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from both league media and coaches for his play, which included career-best numbers in every major category…finished with 49 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five sacks, four QB hurries and three forced fumbles…made three stops, including one TFL, against Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship. 2006: Played in 10 games, making seven starts…had his true sophomore season derailed somewhat by a broken foot in the third game of the season, but he returned to play in the final seven games…began his sophomore season on a tear, recording 13 tackles, 3 sacks and 4 TFLs in the season’s first three games, before breaking a foot in game three at New Mexico…had surgery on Sept. 18th to insert a screw, and returned to action against Texas A&M on Oct. 14, missing just three games…finished the season with a career-high 36 total tackles…named the winner of the team’s Rigman Outstanding Underclassman Leadership Award. 2005: Saw action in all 12 games…registered 23 total tackles, including 2.5 TFLs (10 yards) and 1.5 QB sacks (9 yards).

PERSONAL: Attended Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, Texas….nickname “Ziggy” was given to him by his grandmother when he was a child…ranked as the No. 35 weakside defensive end in the nation, according to the experts at Rivals.com…named district 3-4A defensive player of the year as a senior, when he registered 93 tackles and 13 QB sacks…scored three defensive TDs on the year and recovered three fumbles…earned all-district honors each of his last two years…had 76 stops as a junior, including five QB sacks and also returned one interception for a TD…threw the shot and discus for his school’s track team…son of Mary Payne and Charles Hood…Full name: Evander “Ziggy” Hood.