LINK TO VIDEO CLIP OF STUDEBAKER'S 94-YARD INT RETURN AT NFL.COM
Kansas City, Mo. – Wheaton College alumnus Andy Studebaker (’08) made his first professional start on Sunday afternoon for the Kansas City Chiefs. Studebaker started at outside linebacker for the Chiefs, replacing injured veteran Mike Vrabel. Studebaker also remained a key figure on the Chiefs’ special teams in Kansas City’s 27-24 overtime win against Pittsburgh.
Early in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Steelers, Studebaker recorded his first professional interception. Later in the third quarter, he intercepted another Ben Roethlisberger pass and returned it 94 yards to Steelers’ eight-yard line, setting up a field goal for the Chiefs. In addition to the two interceptions, the former Thunder All-American made five total tackles in the game, with four solo stops and he assisted on a quarterback sack.
This season Studebaker has made 14 total tackles, with 11 solo stops and three assisted hits. He has three pass deflections on the season, with two interceptions and an assisted quarterback sack.
Studebaker was a sixth-round pick of the Eagles in the 2008 NFL draft. He was later assigned to the Eagles’ practice squad, and joined the Chiefs in November 2008 when he was signed off of the Eagles’ practice squad.
Studebaker graduated from Wheaton in May of 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Health Science. In four seasons with the Thunder, he tallied 111 total tackles, with 50-1/2 tackles for lost yardage (-292 yards), including 30 quarterback sacks. As a junior in 2006 he was selected as the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Defensive Player of the Year and was tabbed as a First Team All-American and the North Region Defensive Player of the Year by D3Football.com. He also earned Second Team All-American honors on the 2006 AP Little All-American team and was a Football Gazette Division III All-American. In that junior campaign he led the CCIW and Division III with 17-1/2 (-142 yards) quarterback sacks and was also the league leader in tackles for lost yardage with 25-1/2 (-161 yards). His 17-1/2 sacks tied the school record for sacks in a single season, and were the most of any player at any NCAA level in 2006.
STORY FROM THE KANSAS CITY STAR