Biography
Finished his career with 372 total tackles, 52.5 tackles for loss, 22 sacks, five fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles and three interceptions .... Three-time All-MEAC pick (2013-15), including two straight first-team honors (2014-15) ... Consensus first-team FCS All-American as a senior in 2015.
2015 (Senior)
Led all of Division I (FBS and FCS) in total tackles (163) and tackles per game (14.8) ... NSU's first-ever winner of the Buck Buchanan Award as the nation's top FCS defensive player ... Also NSU's first-ever consensus FCS first-team All-American, earning accolades from STATS, the Associated Press, the Walter Camp Foundation and the American Football Coaches Association ... Became NSU's first AFCA All-American in the school's Division I era ... Also named to the HBCU All-America teams by Boxtorow and SBN Sports ... Voted to the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) University Division all-state first team ... Earned the third All-MEAC honor of his career, taking first-team accolades for the second straight year ... Preseason STATS FCS second-team All-American ... A finalist for the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year award ... Also a preseason All-MEAC first-team selection ... A 3-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week award winner ... Had 10 double-digit tackle performances in NSU’s 11 games, including six of 15 or more ... Opened the year with 12 tackles and a pass breakup at Rutgers ... Had back-to-back 21-tackle games on the road at FBS schools Old Dominion and Marshall ... Notched 10 tackles, half a tackle for loss and an interception in the win over Hampton ... Won his first MEAC Defensive Player of the Week award for his effort in that game ... Has two tackles for loss at Howard ... Followed that up with 15 tackles and 1.5 TFL against North Carolina A&T ... Also had 15 stops the following week at Bethune-Cookman ... Made 14 tackles, nine solos, at N.C. Central ... Posted 17 tackles, one for loss in the OT win over Savannah State ... Had 18 tackles, including 12 solo stops, to go with 3.0 TFL and 2 sacks in the loss to S.C. State ... Earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week accolades after both the SSU and SCSU games ... Capped his career with 14 tackles (career-high 13 solo) and two TFL in the win at Morgan State.
2014 (Junior)
An All-MEAC first-team performer after starting all 12 games at outside linebacker … was second on the team and fourth in the MEAC with 106 total tackles (46 solos, 60 assists) … tied for second in the conference with 18 tackles for loss, and ranked tied for sixth with 7.5 sacks … led the Spartans in both categories … recovered three fumbles and forced two … ranked in the top 50 in the nation in fumble recoveries (sixth), tackles for loss (22nd), total tackles (44th) and sacks (45th) … also deflected two passes and intercepted another … credited with nine quarterback hurries … opened the season with nine tackles and one sack at Maine … amassed five tackles, 1.5 for loss, and half a sack against Liberty … made six tackles, two for a loss, and had one sack at William & Mary … also had two QB hurries in that game … had a strong all-around game against Morgan State, notching seven tackles, three QB hurries, a pass breakup and a forced fumble … made eight tackles in consecutive games against Savannah State and Delaware State … also had a season-high 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery in the DSU game … made 15 stops in the win at Hampton … was a force in the win at FAMU, finishing with eight tackles, one for loss, with half a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery … made a season-high 19 tackles the following week against Bethune-Cookman, which included four stops behind the line of scrimmage … also had a forced fumble and an interception in that game … the 19 tackles tied for the most by a MEAC player during the 2014 season … broke up one pass, recorded seven tackles and one sack in the loss to N.C. Central … ended the year with a flurry, tallying nine tackles, five of them for loss, with one sack and two QB pressures in the loss to S.C. State … the five tackles for loss were a career high … named the team’s Defensive MVP during spring drills after moving to inside linebacker.
2013 (Sophomore)
An All-MEAC second-team performer in his first year as a starter for NSU … led NSU and ranked second in the MEAC in both tackles for loss (18.5) and sacks (9.5) … tied for eighth in the nation among FCS players in tackles for loss per game (1.5 avg.) and tied for 16th in sacks per game (0.79 avg.) … the 9.5 sacks tied for the third-most for a single season in the school’s Division I history (since 1997) … King was also third on the team with 84 total tackles, recovered two fumbles and forced another … started all 12 games at either outside linebacker or defensive end (depending on NSU’s defensive alignment) … had at least half a tackle for loss in 10 games and at least half a sack in seven … opened the year with five solo tackles, three for a loss including one sack, against Maine … posted nine tackles and half a sack at Rutgers … that was the start of six straight games where King had at least eight tackles … had eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks against Charleston Southern … recorded eight total tackles (seven solo) with one for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against Morgan State … made eight stops including a career-high three sacks and two additional QB hurries in the win over Savannah State … had a key sack on Savannah State’s final drive, which ended with a missed field goal … made nine tackles, 1.5 for loss, with one sack at Delaware State … registered season highs in tackles (13) and solo tackles (10) against Hampton, including one TFL … made three tackles for loss and one sack against ODU … tallied six tackles, two for a loss, with one sack and a fumble recovery at N.C. Central … earned a spot on the NSU Athletics Director’s Honor Roll for the fall 2013 semester and named to the 2013-14 MEAC Commissioner’s All-Academic Team.
2012 (Freshman)
Played in all 11 games as a true freshman … worked with the second unit at outside linebacker and also played special teams … made 19 tackles for the year, 12 of them solos … registered five tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception and three quarterback hurries on the year … posted season highs of five tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks in the season-opening win over Virginia State … had three solo tackles, a QB hurry and one tackle for loss against Howard … also tallied three total tackles against Savannah State … had two tackles, one tackle for loss and his first career interception in the season finale with Morgan State … returned that interception 15 yards for a first-quarter NSU touchdown … earned MEAC Rookie of the Week honors for his performance against MSU.
High School/Prep
Spent one season on the post-graduate team at Fork Union … lettered three years on the varsity team at South Lakes … was a first-team All-Liberty District pick as a senior after amassing over 100 tackles and 10 sacks … recorded 12 sacks as a junior and nine as a sophomore … was all-district in the shot put.
Personal
Deon Jerome King was born on July 2, 1993 … son of James Kerkulah and Pebbles King … majoring in building construction technology.
King’s Career Highs
Tackles: 21 (2x, last vs. Marshall, 9-19-15)
TFL: 5.0 (vs. S.C. State, 11-22-14)
Sacks: 3.0 (vs. Savannah State, 10-5-13)
INT: 1 (3x, last vs. Hampton, 9-26-15)
FF: 1 (4x, last vs. Bethune-Cookman, 10-24-15)
FR: 1 (5x, last vs. Florida A&M, 11-1-14)
