With Their First Pick In RD 7 GB Selects DE James Looney, California

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Looney, an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection in each of his final two collegiate campaigns, played in 36 of 37 possible games in his collegiate career with his 35 starts over his three seasons on the field from 2015-17 leading all Cal players during the period after redshirting his first season at Cal in 2014 due to NCAA transfer rules following his transfer from Wake Forest. Looney registered career totals at Cal of 130 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss (-91 yards), 8.0 sacks (-48 yards), one pass breakup, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and five quarterback hurries. He had nearly identical numbers during his 2016 junior or 2017 senior seasons. As a junior, he finished with a career-high 54 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss (-38 yards), a career-high-tying 3.5 sacks (career-high-tying -22 yards), one fumble recovery that he returned 25 yards and a career-high-tying one forced fumble. In his senior season, Looney had 41 tackles, a career-high 9.5 tackles for loss (career-high -42 yards), a career-high-tying 3.5 sacks (career-high-tying -22 yards), a career-high-tying one forced fumble, a career-high two fumble recoveries and a career-high three quarterback hurries. He had 35 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss (-11 yards), his lone career pass breakjup and one fumble recovery in his first season on the field at Cal in 2015. Looney played in six games off the bench during his one season at Wake Forest as a 2013 redshirt freshman and was a projected starter for the Demon Deacons in 2014 before transferring to Cal.
Looney's Career Game Highs
Tackles: 9 (vs. Texas, 2016)
Tackles For Loss: 2.0 (twice, last vs. Washington State, 2017)
Tackle For Loss Yards: 17 (vs. Oregon, 2016)
Sacks: 1.5 (vs. Washington State, 2017)
Sack Yards: 10 (three times, last at Colorado, 2017)
Forced Fumbles: 1 (twice, last at Washington, 2017)
Fumble Recoveries: 1 (four times, last at Colorado, 2017)
Fumble Return Yards: 25 (at USC, 2016)
Long Fumble Return: 25 (at USC, 2016)
Pass Breakups: 1 (vs. Arizona State, 2015)
Quarterback Hurries: 2 (at Oregon, 2017)
After Cal
• Cal's lone participant at the 2018 NFL Combine and the only defensive lineman among the 40 at the event ranked in the top-10 in his position group in each of the six measurable skills tests he competed in including the 20-yard shuttle (4.37, 2nd), vertical jump (35.5, 3rd), 3-cone drill (7.32, 7th), broad jump (9'5", T8th), 40-yard dash (4.89, 10th) and bench press (28, T10th)
• Participated in the 2018 East-West Shrine Game and contributed three tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss and one pass defended late in the contest that helped secure a victory for the winning West squad
Cal Career (2014-17)
• Played in 36 or 37 possible career games with his 35 starts over his three seasons on the field from 2015-17 leading all Cal players during the period
• Two-time honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection and named Cal's Bear Backers Defensive MVP in each of his final two collegiate seasons as a 2016 junior and 2017 senior while he was also a Cort Majors team captain as a junior
• Redshirted his first season at Cal in 2014 due to NCAA transfer rules following his transfer from Wake Forest
• Registered Cal career totals of 130 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss (-91 yards), 8.0 sacks (-48 yards), one pass breakup, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and five quarterback hurries
• Recorded a career-high 9.5 tackles for loss (career-high -42 yards), two fumble recoveries and three pass breakups as a senior
• Registered single-season career highs as a 2016 with 54 tackles, while equaling career-highs with 3.5 sacks (-22 yards) and one fumble recovery that he returned a career-high 25 yards
• Had the lone pass breakup of his career as a 2015 sophomore against Arizona State
• Recorded a single-game career-high nine tackles and a career-high-tying one forced fumble as a junior against Texas
• Registered a career-high-tying 2.0 tackles for loss twice against Washington State as both a junior and senior while his 17 tackle for loss yards vs. Washington State the same season were a career best
• Had a career-high-tying 1.5 sacks as a senior against Washington State and a career-high-tying -10 sack yards three times including in his senior season against the Cougars
• Forced a career-high-tying one fumble twice and recovered a career-high-tying one fumble on four occasions recovery
• Had the lone fumble return of his career on his third career collegiate fumble recovery as a junior at USC when he brought back a fumble recovery a career-long 25 yards
• Had a career-best two quarterback hurries as a senior at Oregon
Looney's College Career Game Highs
Tackles: 9 (for Cal, vs. Texas, 2016)
Tackles For Loss: 2.0 (twice for Cal, last vs. Washington State, 2017)
Tackle For Loss Yards: 17 (for Cal, vs. Oregon, 2016)
Sacks: 1.5 (for Cal, vs. Washington State, 2017)
Sack Yards: 10 (three times for Cal, last at Colorado, 2017)
Forced Fumbles: 1 (twice for Cal, last at Washington, 2017)
Fumble Recoveries: 1 (five times including four times for Cal, last at Colorado, 2017)
Fumble Return Yards: 25 (for Cal, at USC, 2016)
Long Fumble Return: 25 (for Cal, at USC, 2016)
Pass Breakups: 1 (for Cal, vs. Arizona State, 2015)
Quarterback Hurries: 2 (for Cal, at Oregon, 2017)
Collegiate Career (Wake Forest 2013, Cal 2014-17)
• Has combined to register collegiate career totals of 133 tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss (-93 yards), 8.5 sacks (-34 yards), five fumble recoveries including one he returned for 25 yards, five quarterback hurries and one pass breakup over 42 games and 35 starts during his four collegiate campaigns on the field at Cal (2015-17) and Wake Forest (2013) with a redshirt campaign during 2014
• All of his career totals have come at Cal other than the six games off the bench, three tackles, 0.5 sacks (-2 yards), 0.5 tackles for loss (-2 yards) and one fumble recovery he recorded during his single season on the field at Wake Forest as a true freshman in 2013
Senior (2017)
• Earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors from the league's coaches for the second consecutive campaign
• Started all 12 games for the second consecutive season and contributed 41 tackles as well as a career-high 9.5 tackles for loss (career-high -42 yards), a career-high-tying 3.5 sacks (career-high-tying -22 yards), a career high three quarterback hurries, a career-high-tying one forced fumble and a career-high two fumble recoveries
• One of only five players on the team and three on defense to start all 12 contests
• Had at least 1.0 tackle for loss in six of his final seven games
• Registered a season-high six tackles as well as 1.0 tackle for loss (-1 yard) vs. Arizona
• Had a career-high 1.5 sacks (-6 yards) and a career-high-tying 2.0 tackles for loss (season-high-tying -10 yards) against Washington State
• Recorded five tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss (-2 yards) and a career-high-tying one fumble recovery vs. Weber State
• Had four tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss (-5 yards) and 0.5 sacks (-4 yards) in the season-opener at North Carolina
• Registered four tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss (-7 yards) and his lone forced fumble of the campaign at Washington
• Picked up four tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss (-1 yard) against USC
• Had three tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss (season-high-tying -10 yards), 1.0 sack (-10 yards) and one fumble recovery at Colorado
• Also recorded three tackles both at Oregon and UCLA, adding a career-high two quarterback hurries against the Ducks and 1.0 tackle for loss (-3 yards) vs. the Bruins
• Had two tackles both vs. Oregon State and at Stanford, adding 1.0 tackle for loss (-3 yards) and 0.5 sacks (-2 yards) against the Beavers
• Registered one tackle and one quarterback hurry against Ole Miss
• On watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Reese's Senior Bowl prior to the campaign
• A national preseason honors candidate for several awards honoring the nation's most outstanding player overall as well as defensive player, lineman, defensive lineman, interior defensive lineman and defensive end
• Did not play in the spring game due to injury
Junior (2016)
• An honorable mention All-Pac-12 pick of the league’s coaches for the first of two consecutive seasons as he started all 12 games and registered a single-season career high of 54 tackles as well as a career-high-tying one forced fumble and 3.5 sacks (career-high-tying -22 yards), as well as 8.0 tackles for loss (-38 yards), one fumble recovery that he returned a career-long 25 yards and two quarterback hurries
• Led the team in tackle for loss, tied for the team lead in quarterback hurries, ranked second in sacks and tackles for loss, tied for second in sack yards, fumble recoveries and forced fumbles
• Named Cal's Bear Backers MVP on defense among a team-high three awards that also included picking up the Brick Muller Award as the team's Most Valuable Lineman and being a Cort Majors team captain
• One of eight defensive players that started all 12 contests
• Had a huge game against Utah with eight tackles including a stop on the game's final play when he brought down Zack Moss at the Cal one-yard line to keep the Utes' out of the end zone and preserve a 28-23 victory after having previously teamed with Tony Mekari to stop Moss for a one-yard loss on a fourth-and-one from the Cal 10-yard line earlier in the fourth quarter
• Had another memorable moment at USC when he picked up a Trojan fumble and rumbled 25 yards to the USC 22-yard line to set up a Cal touchdown
• Recorded a career-high nine tackles and the first forced fumble of his career against Texas
• Registered six tackles on a trio of occasions at Oregon State, vs. Oregon when he added a career-high-tying 2.0 tackles for loss (career-high 17 yards) and 1.0 sack (career-high-tying 10 yards), and vs. Stanford when one of his six stops was a tackle for loss for four yards
• Had four tackles twice at USC along with his fumble recovery and vs. Washington when he also had a half sack and half tackle for loss for one yard
• Picked up three tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss (-1 yard) and 1.0 sack (-1 yard) at San Diego State as well as three stops and 1.0 tackle for loss (-2 yards) at Arizona State
• Had two tackles against both UCLA and Hawai'i, adding 1.0 sack (career-high-tying -10 yards) and one quarterback hurry against the Bruins
• Had a single stop that was credited as a half-tackle for loss (-1 yard) at Washington State
• A Jonathan and Judy Hoff Football Scholar-Athlete of the Week
• A fourth-team preseason All-Pac-12 pick according to Athlon
• A preseason All-American and national honors candidate for all honors presented to defensive linemen including the Outland Trophy and Vince Lomardi/Rotary Award
• Saw limited action in the spring game but did not record any statistics
Sophomore (2015)
• Played in 12 games with 11 starts in his first season on the field at Cal and was second among defensive linemen with 35 tackles behind only Kyle Kragen while adding 3.0 tackles for loss (-11 yards), 1.0 sack (-4 yards), one pass breakup and one fumble recovery
• Recorded a season-high eight tackles at Utah
• Had four tackles in three of the team's last four games vs. Oregon State, vs. Arizona State and vs. Air Force, adding 0.5 tackles for loss against both Arizona State (-3 yards) and Air Force (-1 yard) while picking up his first career pass breakup against the Sun Devils
• Added three stops vs. San Diego State and Washington State with 1.0 tackle for loss in each contest against the Cougars (-4 yards) and Aztecs (-3 yards)
• Added two tackles at Washington, UCLA and Stanford, and one in the season-opener against Grambling State, at Texas and vs. USC
• Had impressive spring workouts to move into a starting role at defensive tackle
• A preseason top newcomer according to Lindy's
• Played in the spring game but did not record any statistics
Sophomore (2014)
• Redshirted after transferring to Cal from Wake Forest and sat out the season due to NCAA transfer rules
• Did not play
• Signed a financial aid agreement with Cal in May and was added to the school’s 2014 recruiting class
Wake Forest (2013)
• A projected starter as a defensive tackle for the 2014 season before leaving the program following spring workouts
• Played in six games off the bench during his single season as a true freshman in 2013, contributing three tackles, 0.5 sacks (-2 yards), 0.5 tackles for loss (-2 yards) and one fumble recovery
• Entered the school as a mid-year enrollee in January of 2013
• Practiced with the Demon Deacons during the spring in both 2013 and 2014
Lake Worth HS (Class of 2013)
• A four-year varsity player who started all four seasons on the offensive line as well as the final two-and-a-half campaigns on the defensive line
• Served as team captain during his 2012 senior season but missed three games due to injury
• Recorded six tackles, 3.0 sacks and three forced fumbles in a game against Olympic Heights as a senior, as well as 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble against Atlantic High
• A first-team Associated Press All-State Class 7A selection on the offensive line as a senior
• Two-time first-team All-Palm Beach County on offense as a junior and senior
• Member of the Sun-Sentinel Super 11 as a senior during both the preseason and following the campaign for his play on both offense and defense
• Recorded 60 tackles and 2.0 sacks during his junior campaign while playing about half of the defensive snaps and was a full-time starter on the offensive line
• Team finished 9-3 and reached the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs as a 2010 sophomore after a 6-4 campaign during his 2009 freshman year
• Also participated all four of his prep seasons on the track and weightlifting teams
• Graduated in December of 2012 and joined Wake Forest as a mid-year enrollee in January of 2013
Recruiting Notes (Class of 2013)
• A three-star recruit according to 247Sports, 247Sports Composite, ESPN, Rivals and Scout
• Among the nation’s top-ranked defensive tackles by 247Sports Composite (No. 60), ESPN (No. 81) and 247Sports (No. 87)
• Listed among the nation’s top-ranked defensive ends by Scout (No. 118)
• Among the nation’s top-ranked players overall according to 247Sports (No. 966)
• Among the top players overall in his region according to ESPN (No. 492)
• Among the top players overall in Florida according to 247Composite (No. 136), ESPN (No. 182) and 247Sports (No. 196)
• Received a grade of 0.8397 from 247Sports Composite, while 247Sports had him at 82, ESPN at 74 and Rivals at 5.6
• Rated the No. 14 player on the Palm Beach County Big Board during his senior season
• Rated No. 103 overall on the FlaVarsity 160 in June of 2012 prior to his senior prep campaign
• Named the “Biggest Catch” of Wake Forest’s 2012 recruiting class by Rivals
• Named a “sleeper” at the 2012 Miami Nike Football Training Camp
Other
• Full name is James Thomas Looney
• Born May 15, 1995
• Son of James and Marilyn Looney
• Hobbies include playing basketball and golf
• Brother, Joe Looney, is an offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft and has played with the 49ers and Tennessee Titans after being a second-team All-ACC pick as a 2011 senior at Wake Forest
• Graduated from Cal in December of 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in American studies
Last Updated
March 20, 2018
 
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