▁weak side ▁line back er ▁and ▁bl oss omed ▁into ▁a ▁leader ▁on ▁the ▁field , ▁under ▁the ▁t utor ing ▁ ▁of ▁Co ach ▁Dave ▁Ste ck el . ▁He ▁led ▁the ▁team ▁with ▁ 1 3 0 ▁tack les , ▁and ▁also ▁broke ▁up ▁ 8 ▁passes ▁on ▁the ▁year ▁( 2 nd - most ▁on ▁the ▁team ). ▁We athers po on ▁received ▁All - Big ▁ 1 2 ▁First ▁Team ▁hon ors ▁by ▁the ▁Associ ated ▁Press , ▁San ▁Antonio ▁Express - News , ▁and ▁Riv als . com ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁We athers po on ▁finished ▁the ▁season ▁with ▁ 1 5 5 ▁tack les , ▁which ▁were ▁the ▁ 2 nd - most ▁in ▁Missouri ▁single - season ▁history , ▁trailing ▁only ▁to ▁Tra vis ▁Mc Donald ▁( 1 6 4 ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ). ▁He ▁also ▁had ▁ 1 8 . 5 ▁tack les ▁for ▁loss , ▁ 3 ▁inter ception s ▁( 2 ▁of ▁which ▁he ▁returned ▁for ▁touch down s ), ▁and ▁also ▁broke ▁up ▁ 7 ▁passes . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Al amo ▁Bowl , ▁We athers po on ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁game ' s ▁def ensive ▁M VP ▁after ▁register ing ▁ 1 7 ▁tack les . ▁He ▁announced ▁after ▁the ▁game ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁file d ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁NFL ▁D raft , ▁but ▁just ▁to ▁see ▁where