The following is a press release courtesy of Iowa State athletics communications.
CHICAGO – Iowa State senior defensive end Dale Pierson has been named to the Ted Hendricks Award Midseason Watch List, announced today by the Ted Hendricks Foundation.
The Ted Hendricks Award is named in honor of college football’s first three-time first-team All-American and is given annually to college football’s premier defensive end.
A native of Bakersfield, Calif., Pierson was recently named to ESPN’s midseason All-Big 12 team for his outstanding play in 2015.
Pierson ranks 11th nationally in sacks per game (0.93) and 25th nationally in TFL (1.4), racking up a TFL in every game this season. He also has 27 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in 2015.
Through seven games, Pierson has recorded 10.0 TFL, becoming the first ISU down lineman to record double-digits in TFL since Christopher Lyle registered 13.0 in 2009. With 6.5 sacks, Pierson is just two sacks shy of ISU’s single-season record of 8.5 currently held by Shawn Moorehead (2006).
Pierson opened the season by tallying 3.0 sacks and an interception vs. UNI.
The junior college transfer leads all active Cyclones in career sacks (8.5) and career TFL (14.5).
