Phillip Merling
Encyclopedia
Phillip Blaine Merling is an American football
defensive end
for the Miami Dolphins
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Dolphins in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Clemson
.
Merling was also All-conference, All-region, and All-area in basketball as a sophomore and junior. He averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds as a senior and averaged 15 points and 13 rebounds as a junior.
He also played high school football for Cordova High School in Cordova Tennessee for three years.
In 2007, he recorded 78 total tackles (first among defensive linemen), including 17 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks. He was instrumental to the Tigers’ top 10 national ranking in scoring and total defense. Was voted Second-team All-ACC for his efforts.
He was named ACC
Defensive Lineman of the Week three times, more than any other ACC player. It marked the first time since 2001 that a Clemson player was named ACC Player of the Week three times.
He started all 13 games of the 2006 season, finishing with 46 total tackles on Clemson's top-16 total and scoring defense. Merling had had 10 tackles for loss, second-most on the team behind Gaines Adams
. Merling also recorded three sacks, 20 quarterback hurries and one forced fumble that year.
Merling played 271 snaps during his true freshman season in 2005. Won the 12th Man Award for the defense as a freshman and was a Second-team freshman All-America defensive end by Rivals.com
.
40-yard time: 4.63, 4.73, 4.84 (pre-combine)
225-pound bench press: 17 reps
Merling was selected 32nd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft
by the Miami Dolphins
. In Week 17 of the 2008 season, he intercepted a Brett Favre
pass and returned it for a touchdown, helping the Dolphins clinch the 2008 AFC East
Division championship.
Before the 2010 season he suffered a torn Achilles' Tendon and was ruled out for the season, although he was activated before the Dolphins' Week 13 game with Cleveland.
on May 26, 2010 and charged with aggravated battery
against a pregnant female. Merling was the second of two defensive linemen for the Miami Dolphins
, Tony McDaniel
being the first, to be arrested and charged with battery against a female during the 2010 offseason. The charges were later dropped by the Broward State Attorney's office after the accusing female moved back to her home state of South Carolina and did not return to testify against him.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Dolphins in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
Early years
Played tight end and defensive end at Fork Union Military Academy in 2004. He totaled 38 catches for 647 yards and five touchdowns on offense and on defense he added five sacks, 51 tackles, and eight pass breakups. He had 20 catches for 430 yards and four scores as a senior and totaled 96 tackles and thirty four sacks as a senior. For that performance he was the MVP at Fork Union. After his senior year he played in the Tennessee/Kentucky All-Star game. He was also First-team All-state and All-region as a senior Prior to Fork Union, Merling attended Calhoun County High School in Saint Matthews, SC, for three years.Merling was also All-conference, All-region, and All-area in basketball as a sophomore and junior. He averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds as a senior and averaged 15 points and 13 rebounds as a junior.
He also played high school football for Cordova High School in Cordova Tennessee for three years.
College career
He appeared in 38 games at Clemson, starting his final 26. He delivered 146 tackles (99 solos), 12 sacks for minus 80 yards, 31 stops for losses totaling 152 yards and 45 quarterback pressures.In 2007, he recorded 78 total tackles (first among defensive linemen), including 17 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks. He was instrumental to the Tigers’ top 10 national ranking in scoring and total defense. Was voted Second-team All-ACC for his efforts.
He was named ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Defensive Lineman of the Week three times, more than any other ACC player. It marked the first time since 2001 that a Clemson player was named ACC Player of the Week three times.
He started all 13 games of the 2006 season, finishing with 46 total tackles on Clemson's top-16 total and scoring defense. Merling had had 10 tackles for loss, second-most on the team behind Gaines Adams
Gaines Adams
Gaines Adams was an American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round in the 2007 NFL Draft and in 2009 was traded to the Chicago Bears...
. Merling also recorded three sacks, 20 quarterback hurries and one forced fumble that year.
Merling played 271 snaps during his true freshman season in 2005. Won the 12th Man Award for the defense as a freshman and was a Second-team freshman All-America defensive end by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
.
Statistics
| Career Statistics | |||||||||||
| Tackles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | GP | Total | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sck | FF | FR | INT | PD | TD |
| 2005 | 12 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 13 | 46 | 31 | 15 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2007 | 13 | 78 | 51 | 27 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 38 | 146 | 99 | 47 | 31 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Pre-draft
Merling underwent a successful laparscopic by athletic pubalgia surgeon Dr. William Myers to repair a sports hernia. As a result he did not participate in most drills at the combine or the Clemson Pro day due to his recovery from surgery. However, on April 25, 2008, Merling had a private "pro day" for scouts and "performed well". Merling worked out hard for about 45 minutes. "The kid's a pretty safe pick," one scout said. "He's not going to get outflanked," another said, referring to Merling's stoutness at the point of attack. No numbers have been released from the workout.Measurables
Height: 6'4½" Weight: 271 lbs40-yard time: 4.63, 4.73, 4.84 (pre-combine)
225-pound bench press: 17 reps
Miami Dolphins
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
by the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In Week 17 of the 2008 season, he intercepted a Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
pass and returned it for a touchdown, helping the Dolphins clinch the 2008 AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
Division championship.
Before the 2010 season he suffered a torn Achilles' Tendon and was ruled out for the season, although he was activated before the Dolphins' Week 13 game with Cleveland.
Personal
Merling was arrested in Broward County, FloridaBroward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
on May 26, 2010 and charged with aggravated battery
Aggravated battery
Aggravated battery in criminal law is a more serious form of battery, and is considered a felony. Aggravated battery can be punished by a fine or more than a year in prison in some countries...
against a pregnant female. Merling was the second of two defensive linemen for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Tony McDaniel
Tony McDaniel
-External links:**...
being the first, to be arrested and charged with battery against a female during the 2010 offseason. The charges were later dropped by the Broward State Attorney's office after the accusing female moved back to her home state of South Carolina and did not return to testify against him.