Steelers 2014 NFL Draft Player Profiles – Boston College LB Kevin Pierre-Louis

Good friend Dave-Te’ Thomas of Scouting Services has finished his player profiles of several of the top 2014 NFL Draft prospects and over the course of the next few weeks I will be posting the ones that the Pittsburgh Steelers will more than likely have interest in. Being as Boston College linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis was in for a pre draft visit last week, now is a good time to post his. Thomas has done these profiles for the NFL for several years and I know that many of you enjoy reading them.

KEVIN PIERRE-LOUIS
Outside Linebacker
Boston College Eagles
#24
6:00.4-232
Norwalk, Connecticut
King Low Heywood Thomas High School

OVERVIEW

Much like his predecessors, the Rams’ JoLonn Dunbar and the Panthers’ Luke Kuechley, Pierre-Louis compensates for a lack of great bulk with blazing quickness and active hands that allow him to fend off blockers to chase down ball carriers at the opposite side of the field.

A starter since first suiting up for the Eagles as a freshman, he showed that he can quickly adapt to any role, having successfully mastered the weak-side outside linebacker position his first three years. He was then shifted to the strong side as a senior. Rather than need time to adjust to his new role, Pierre-Louis proceeded to have his finest collegiate campaign, continuing to pile up tackles at a record rate.

In all four seasons with the Eagles, Pierre-Louis has ranked among the top ten tacklers in the Atlantic Coast Conference, ranking ninth with 93 hits as a freshman, followed by placing eighth with an average of 8.22 stops as a sophomore. His average of 9.44 tackles per game in 2012 ranked third in the ACC and 28th nationally. He then capped off his career with 108 tackles in 2013, placing sixth on the league charts.

Pierre-Louis ended his Boston College career with 360 tackles, tying Kevin Pearson (1987-90) for eighth on the school all-time record list. Among active NCAA Football Bowl Sub-division performers, that figure ranks seventh within the group, placing fifth with 214 solo stops and 22nd with 146 assisted hits. His average of 8.18 tackles per game is tenth-best in the nation, much like his average of 4.86 solo stops per game.

Boston College recognized the talented Connecticut product during his junior season at King Low Heywood Thomas High School. The two-time New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference Class C All-Star lined up at middle linebacker and fullback, and was the 2009-10 Gatorade Connecticut Football Player of the Year. The two-time team captain led the Vikings to consecutive Fairchester Athletic Association titles (2008 and 2009).

As a senior, Pierre-Louis recorded 159 tackles, including 101 solo stops, in nine games in 2009, as he also registered three interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. On offense, he rushed for 914 yards and 13 touchdowns on 77 carries, along with catching four passes for 84 yards and three scores. He finished his career with 460 tackles and 10.5 sacks. He also played on the school’s basketball and lacrosse teams.

Pierre-Louis was an immediate contributor when he joined the Boston College program in 2010. Rather than red-shirt, he won the weak-side outside linebacker position, earning Freshman All-American honors after he finished second on the team and ninth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 93 tackles (59 solos).

Lingering lower leg problems would see Pierre-Louis miss three mid-season games during each of his sophomore and junior campaigns. Even though he missed one-quarter of the schedule, he still finished second on the team with 74 tackles in 2011, adding six stops behind the line of scrimmage. The following season, he tacked on 84 more hits, fourth-best on the squad, adding two sacks among his four stops for loss.

Pierre-Louis had his finest season during his last year in an Eagles uniform. For the first time in two seasons, he played injury-free, ranking second on the team with a career-high 108 tackles. Known more for his run stuffing duties while manning the weak-side, the newly installed strong-side linebacker was a regular visitor in the opposing backfields, as he totaled career-highs with six sacks and 10.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage.

CAREER NOTES

Pierre-Louis started all forty-four games that he suited up for at Boston College, lining up at weak-side outside linebacker for his first thirty-one contests before concluding his career with thirteen starts on the strong-side … Tied with Kevin Pearson (1987-90) for eighth in school history with 360 tackles (214 solos) … Had eight sacks for minus 66 yards and 23.0 stops for losses of 103 yards … Deflected eleven passes and intercepted another, as he recovered two fumbles and caused another.

SEASON ANALYSIS

2013 SEASON

Pierre-Louis earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team honors from The NFL Draft Report, the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association and the league’s coaches … Received Walter Camp Football Foundation Connecticut Player of the Year honors … Shared the program’s William J. Flynn Coaches Award with Chase Rettig as the team’s most valuable players … Ranked second on the team as he registered a career-high 108 tackles (67 solos) with six sacks for minus 49 yards and 10.5 stops for losses of 56 yards, as he ranked sixth in the ACC with an average of 8.3 total tackles and placed third with an average of 5.2 solo stops per game … Pierre-Louis recorded the first of four double-digit 2013 performances, as he posted twelve hits (8 solos) with a sack and 2.5 stops-for-loss vs. Villanova … Added eleven tackles that included one stop behind the line of scrimmage vs. Wake Forest and made a career-high eighteen tackles (8 solos) vs. Army … Returned his only interception as an Eagle 33 yards for a touchdown, as he also was in on eight solo tackles in the Virginia Tech contest … Had another eight hits the next week vs. New Mexico State two sacks with eight more tackles vs. North Carolina State … Ended the regular season with thirteen tackles (9 solos), a sack and 1.5 stops-for-loss vs. Syracuse.

2012 SEASON

Pierre-Louis appeared in 760 plays, starting nine contests at weak-side linebacker, but lingering lower leg problems forced him to sit out vs. Army, Wake Forest and Notre Dame … The All-Atlantic Coast Conference honorable mention still finished the season ranked fourth on the team with 85 tackles, including 51 solos, as he had the first two sacks for his career among four stops for losses of 19 yards … Also deflected three passes … Registered ten (or more) tackles in each of four games – vs. Miami, Northwestern, Maryland and North Carolina State … Posted a season-high 17 tackles, including 10 solo tackles and one sack for a loss of seven yards, in a 22-17 loss at Northwestern … Added 14 tackles – eight solo tackles and six assisted tackles – and one pass break-up in the team’s 41-32 season-opening home loss to Miami … Also a valuable member of the special teams’ units.

2011 SEASON

Pierre-Louis started all nine games he appeared in, but lower leg problems sidelined the weak-side linebacker vs. Maryland, Florida State and North Carolina State … Still ranked second on the team with 74 tackles, including 37 solo stops, as he delivered six hits behind the line of scrimmage and deflected four passes … Also recovered and caused a fumble … Recovered a fumble for a 96-yard touchdown, the longest fumble return of the season in the ACC, and forced another, while contributing four tackles, including two for a loss of eight yards, and a quarterback pressure vs. Massachusetts … Notched seven tackles, three solo, including 1.5 tackles for loss, in addition to one pass breakup at Notre Dame and was second on the team with nine tackles, including three solo stops at Virginia Tech … Delivered 10 tackles, six unassisted, including one for a loss of four yards, vs. Wake Forest … Tallied 11 tackles, seven solo, including one for loss, and added one pass breakup vs. Duke … In the Northwestern clash, he made a season-best 16 tackles, including seven solo stops and one for a loss of seven yards.

2010 SEASON

Pierre-Louis started all thirteen games at weak-side outside linebacker, receiving Fresh-man All-American honors from Rivals.com, as he finished second on the team with 93 tackles and 59 solo stops … Also had three pass breakups and 2.5 stops for losses of 5 yards, in addition to recovering a fumble … Made seven tackles, four solo, vs. Nevada in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl … Led all players with a season-high 14 tackles (11 solos) vs. Virginia and posted 12 tackles including one for a loss at Duke … Recorded four tackles and recovered a fumble at Wake Forest … Notched 11 tackles vs. Virginia Tech and had six tackles and one for a loss vs. Weber State.

INJURY REPORT

2011 Season … Missed the Maryland, Florida State and North Carolina State games with a lower leg injury.
2012 Season … Lingering lower leg problems forced him to sit out vs. Army, Wake Forest and Notre Dame.

AGILITY TESTS

4.51 in the 40-yard dash (best performance for all linebackers in attendance at the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine) … 1.56 10-yard dash … 2.61 20-yard dash … 4.02 20-yard shuttle (ranked second among all linebackers at the 2014 Combine and tied for sixth-best for all players performing at his position at the Combine for the last ten years) … 11.28 60-yard shuttle … 6.92 three-cone drill … 39inch vertical jump (third-best for linebackers at the 2014 Combine) … 10’-8” broad jump (tied for second-best among linebackers at the 2014 Combine and placed seventh at his position for the last ten combines) … Bench pressed 225 pounds 28 times (tied for third among linebackers at the 2014 Combine) … 32 ¼-inch arm length … 10 1/8-inch hands … 78 5/8-inch wingspan.

HIGH SCHOOL

Pierre-Louis attended King Low Heywood Thomas (Norwalk, Ct.) High School, playing football for head coach Danny Gouin … The two-time New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference Class C All-Star lined up at middle linebacker and fullback, and was the 2009-10 Gatorade Connecticut Football Player of the Year … The two-time team captain led the Vikings to consecutive Fairchester Athletic Association titles (2008 and 2009) … As a senior, Pierre-Louis recorded 159 tackles, including 101 solo stops, in nine games in 2009, as he also registered three interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries … On offense, he rushed for 914 yards and 13 touchdowns on 77 carries, along with catching four passes for 84 yards and three scores … Finished his career with 460 tackles and 10.5 sacks … Also played on the school’s basketball and lacrosse teams.

PERSONAL

Pierre-Louis is a Business Administration major … Served as an orientation leader for the Boston College First-Year Experience program in the summer 2012 … Oldest of Windzer Pierre-Louis’s five children … Born 10/07/91 … Resides in Norwalk, Connecticut.

PLAYER STATISTICS