| Blake Lingruen |
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Professional Career
Signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions.
2004
Started all 11 games at center and was the ironman of the offensive line, playing 768 snaps this season... graded out at 86 percent, second best on the team with 101 knockdown blocks... helped pave the way for the 2nd-best rushing offense in the ACC (206.1 ypg) and a rushing offense that ranked 19th in the nation.
2003
Named a second-team Junior Class All-America by CollegeSportsReport.com... started 11 games in 2003... very solid and reliable, despite battling a knee sprain suffered in the season opener... graded out at 88 percent for the season and averaged 9.3 knockdowns a contest... played nearly every snap at Boston College, recording 7.5 knockdowns... sprained his knee on the final play of the game... played 63 snaps -- despite the injury -- versus NC State... graded out at 83 percent with 8.5 knockdowns... graded out at a team high 91 percent and had six knockdowns in 67 snaps against Purdue... graded out at a team-high 94 percent and had 10.5 knockdowns against East Carolina... led the Deacs with 8.5 knockdowns and an 81 percent rating at Virginia... led the team with a 92 percent rating and added eight knockdowns against Georgia Tech... named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week after grading out at 92 percent and leading the team with 13 knockdowns at Duke... played a team-high 70 snaps and graded out at 86 percent with 11.5 knockdowns at Florida State... graded out at a team-best 90 percent with 13 knockdowns against Clemson... graded out at 90 percent with 12 knockdowns at North Carolina... graded out at 93 percent with three knockdowns against Connecticut... did not start, but played 52 snaps against Maryland and had 10 knockdowns with a 90 percent grade.
2002
Developed into a starter at center... saw action in every game, earning his first career start at Purdue and getting the nod in the remaining nine games of the season... helped the Deacon ground game lead the ACC in rushing for the second straight year... also helped WFU average an ACC-best and school-record 408.1 yards of total offense per game... the WFU offensive line also tied an ACC-low by giving up just 12 sacks in 2002... played 67 snaps at NC State while tallying 14.5 knockdowns... recorded a season-high 15 knockdowns at Purdue... graded out at 92 percent against Virginia with 13 knockdowns... part of an offensive effort against Clemson that recorded the most total yards (523) in two years, including a 365-rushing yard performance, the eighth best in school history... graded out at 90 percent in the 31-0 shutout over North Carolina... graded out at a season-high 94 percent against Florida State... helped WFU record a Seattle Bowl-record 497 yards of total offense against Oregon.
2001
Saw action in all but two games as a reserve center... played a season-high 22 snaps in the win at Virginia and 21 snaps the next week in the victory at North Carolina... gained valuable knowledge playing behind four-year starter Vince Azzolina... helped hold opponents to an ACC-low 13 quarterback sacks... helped pave the way for Deacon rushers to average an ACC-best 221.6 yards an outing on the ground.
2000
Redshirted as a true freshman.
Background
A 10-time varsity letterwinner at Liberty Center HS, including three years in football, four in wrestling and three in track... three-year starter for the Tigers at both center and nose guard... a two-time all-state selection... earned all-league and all-district honors... selected as the region's player of the year... played for the North team in the North-South game... nominated for the "Big 33" game... won the state wrestling title in his weight class.
Personal
Majoring in Communications... will turn 23 during the preseason... born August 19, 1981 in Napoleon, Ohio... son of Rex and Kaye Lingruen... has two sisters, Brooke and Brandi... father, Rex, played football at Ohio Northern and was his high school coach at Liberty Center... chose WFU because of "the prestige of the school and the strength of the ACC."
