Joe Pawelek Class: Senior Hometown: San Antonio, Texas High School: Smithson Valley Height / Weight: 6-2 / 240 Position: LB Experience: 3L

All-America candidate
Academic All-America candidate
BUTKUS AWARD CANDIDATE
LOMBARDI AWARD CANDIDATE
LOTT TROPHY CANDIDATE
All-America and Butkus Award candidate... Fifth-year player most veteran on squad, leads team with 34 career starts and tied with teammate Jason Lamb for most career games played at 36 heading into 2009... 313 tackles in 36 career games (heading into 2009), three shy of entering school's top 10... Second on Baylor's career assisted tackles list with 172... Thirteen career games of 10-plus tackles... Four of eight career interceptions made in BU endzone... One of nine returning defensive starters... 2009 Academic All-American... Three-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 honoree... Seven-time member of Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll... Former catcher on BU baseball squad.
2008 (Junior): Starter in all 12 games, earned All-America, Academic All-America and All-Big 12 honors as junior in 2008... Named 2008 third-team All-America by Phil Steele... Consensus 2008 first-team All-Big 12 selection by all organizations... Selected Best Linebacker in Texas and member of All-Texas first team by Dave Campbell's Texas Football... Big 12 Defensive Player of Week Nov. 17... Earned 2008 Academic All-America second-team honors by ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA... 2008 first-team Academic All-Big 12... Selected to Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in fall 2008... Given team awards for Defensive MVP and Baylor Academic Excellence... One of eight Bears to start all 12 games in 2008... Totaled 128 tackles, six tackles for loss, six interceptions, seven breakups and five hurries on season... 10.7 tackles-per-game average ranked second in Big 12 and seventh nationally... Second in Big 12 and seventh nationally in interceptions (0.50 per game), first nationally among linebackers... Only player ranked in top 10 nationally in tackles and interceptions (seventh in both)... Six interceptions ranks eighth on school's single-season list... 73 assisted tackles ranks fourth on Baylor's single-season chart... Recorded seven-plus tackles in all 12 games... Led team with five QB hurries... Recorded career-high 15 tackles in season-opener vs. No. 23 Wake Forest... Totaled 10 tackles, one interception, two hurries, two breakups and one fumble recovery in week three win over Washington State... Had 13 tackles and an interception at UConn in fourth game... Totaled 14 tackles, including a career-high 13 solo stops, and three tackles for loss at No. 8 Oklahoma State... Made four interceptions in late-season three-game span vs. Missouri, Texas and Texas A&M... Had 13 tackles and a pick vs. No. 14 Missouri in ninth game... Had nine tackles and interception at No. 5 Texas in 10th game... Named Big 12 Defensive Player of Week after making two interceptions and seven tackles in win over Texas A&M in 11th game.
2007 (Sophomore): Baylor's second-leading tackler as sophomore linebacker with 99 stops (40 solos) ... Team tri-captain and shared squad MVP honors with free safety Jordan Lake... Second-team All-Big 12 selection by The Associated Press, Austin American-Statesman and Waco Tribune-Herald, received honorable mention recognition from league's coaches... Second-team All-Texas pick in Dave Campbell's Winter 2008 Texas Football magazine... First-team Academic All-Big 12 honoree also first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI pick... Big 12 Fall Good Works Team member... Ranked T-No. 6 in Big 12 (tied for fith among linebackers) and T-No. 85 nationally with 8.2 tackles per game... Also ranked tied for fourth in Big 12 with 0.25 fumbles forced per game and tied for ninth in league with 0.17 fumbles recovered per game... In Big 12 games only, averaged 8.9 tackles per game to rank in fifth-place tie... Football Writers Association of America Preseason All-America checklist member led Bears in fumbles forced (three) and ranked No. 2 in tackles (99) and tackles for loss (8.0), No. 5 in sacks (2.0)... Team-high 59 assisted stops ranked as eighth-best single-season effort in school history... Totaled four or more tackles in 22 of 24 career appearances, including five double-digit efforts, four of which came in 2007... Had six tackles (two solos) vs. Oklahoma State... Totaled two tackles (one solo) and 0.5 tackle for loss at No. 4 Oklahoma... Registered seven tackles (one solo), one forced fumble and one fumble recovery vs. Texas Tech... Produced third-straight double-digit tackle performance with 12- tackle (nine solos) effort at Kansas State which included 1.0 tackle for loss and pass breakup... Totaled team-high tying 11 tackles (one solo), an interception and forced fumble vs. No. 19 Texas... Had season-best 13 tackles (seven solos) at No. 20 Kansas... Tallied 8 tackles (two solos), including 2.0 tackles for loss, vs. Colorado... Registered 12 tackles (4 solo) with 1.0 tackles for loss at Texas A&M... Totaled team co-leading nine tackles (six solos) with 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and fumble recovery at Buffalo... Seven tackles (four solos) included 1.5 for loss and sack vs. Rice... Six tackles (two solos) and forced fumble at No. 22 TCU... Started every game for Bears and played 893 snaps, fourth-most on squad overall and second-highest total on defensive side of ball behind Lake's 974 plays... Took 62 or more snaps in 10 games with high of 100 at Texas A&M... Received team Academic Award... Earned second letter... Fall and spring Dean's List and Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll member... Baylor Leadership Academy graduate.
2006 (Redshirt Freshman): Redshirt freshman linebacker enjoyed one of finest season's ever by Baylor rookie, earning first-team freshman All-America honors from Sporting News, collegefootballnews.com and Football Writers Association of America and second-team recognition from Rivals.com... The Associated Press and San Antonio Express-News' 2006 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of Year also garnered conference Defensive Freshman of Year honors from Sporting News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Houston Chronicle, Waco Tribune-Herald as well as second-team All-Big 12 honors from league's coaches... Honorable mention Associated Press All-Big 12 pick... First-team Academic All-Big 12 selection led Bears in tackles with 86 stops (46 solos), played every game with 10 starts... Tied for 10th in Big 12 with 7.17 tackles per game, highest per-game average of any conference freshman, and finished season with 4.5 tackles for loss (No. 4 on squad), 2.0 sacks (tied for second on team), one interception, four pass breakups (tied for second on squad) and team-high nine quarterback hurries... Totaled four or more tackles in 11 of 12 outings... Tallied three tackles, all assisted, in season-finale vs. No. 16 Oklahoma... Had four tackles (three solos) at Oklahoma State... Registered team-high nine tackles (four solos), one sack and pass breakup at Texas Tech... Recorded eight-tackle (three solos) game vs. No. 22 Texas A&M... Seven tackles (six solos) with one for loss and quarterback hurry vs. Kansas... Had eight tackles (seven solos), a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry at No. 6 Texas... Tallied then-career-best 14 stops (career-high 11 solos) at Colorado and first career interception which clinched Bears' 3OT win... Registered back-to-back seven-tackle efforts vs. Army (three solos) and Kansas State (one solo)... Also had four quarterback hurries and pass breakup vs. K-State... Tallied six tackles (four solos), with one sack, at Washington State... Had then-career-high nine stops (two solos) in first career start vs. Northwestern State after four-tackle (two solos) debut vs. No. 22 TCU... Saw action on team-high 855 snaps to earn first Baylor monogram... Selected Baylor's Best Defensive Front Player by coaches and received team's Academic Award... Named to fall and spring Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll as well as Dean's List for both terms.
2005 (True Freshman): Elected to take redshirt season... Scout team MVP... Named to fall and spring Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll... Earned place on Dean's List for both fall and spring terms... Also catcher on Baylor baseball team, but sat out 2006 season as redshirt.
High School: Smithson Valley High School, Spring Branch, Texas... Member of 2004 Texas Football Top 300... 2004 Waco Tribune-Herald Top 100 selection... Ranked No. 2 on San Antonio Express-News Area Top 10 and No. 40 on its State Top 50 lists... Named 2004-05 Boys High School Athlete of Year by San Antonio Express-News... Tallied 197 tackles and six fumble recoveries as senior linebacker en route to San Antonio Express-News Defensive Player of Year honors... Two-time first-team all-district performer also earned pair of All-San Antonio awards... Helped Rangers to 2004 Class 5A Division II runner-up finish, 13-3 record and rewarded with Associated Press honorable mention Class 5A all-state honors... Credited with 20 tackles in Rangers' 18-10 state semifinal victory over Houston Clear Lake... 2004 Park Place Pontiac Defensive Player of Year also 2003 Comal County Male Athlete of Year... Led 2003 team to 10-2 record, district title and Division II playoffs... Had 131 tackles and seven sacks as junior en route to second-team all-state honors... As sophomore, lettered and honorable mention all-district pick for 14-2 Ranger team, won district title and finished second in state playoffs... Also standout baseball catcher, earned four first-team all-district awards over four-year career and all-state honors in final two seasons... National Honor Society member... Coached by Larry Hill at District 26-5A school.
Personal: Son of Mike and Judy Pawelek, Joseph Charles Pawelek was born Dec. 8, 1986, in Corpus Christi, Texas... Double major in finance and economics.