Sidbury, who the coaching staff at Richmond called the team's best athlete, excelled as the premier pass rusher in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. He was a valuable track and field performer, competing in the throws and the 100-meter dash. An Honor Roll student, Sidbury led the team to the national championship in 2008, the first title won by any sports program at Richmond.

No one could've scripted a better end to his college career. Facing one of the most dominating teams of the last decade, he led a spirited defense that held Montana to 34 yards rushing -- its lowest output in more than two seasons. Sidbury almost won that championship game by himself, accounting for four sacks to lead the Spiders to a 24-7 victory and the FCS title.

Sidbury earned All-State, All-Metro, All-County and All-League as a senior at Oxon Hill High School, serving as team captain his final two seasons. The three-year starter was a member of the Washington, D.C. Golden 11 team and played in the Prince Georges County All-Star Game. He also lettered in track, winning the county title and finished second at the state finals in the shot put. He received academic accolades and was an Honor Roll student as part of the Science and Vo-Tech program.

In 2004, Sidbury appeared briefly in the season opener vs. North Carolina State before sitting out the rest of the Richmond schedule, retaining freshman eligibility. He appeared in 13 games in 2006, earning on start at left defensive end, helping the team rank fourth in the Atlantic Ten Conference in total defense. He finished that year with 24 tackles (12 solos), three sacks and four stops for losses.

As a sophomore, Sidbury played in nine games for the Spiders, collecting 17 tackles (11 solos) that included 5.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He also lettered on the outdoor track team, posting a season-best 41-feet 4 1/2-inch-toss in the shot put.

Sidbury moved into the starting lineup at left defensive end as a junior. He earned All-Colonial Athletic Association and All-State first-team honors. He totaled 48 tackles (22 solo) that included five sacks, making 8.5 stops for loss. He again competed on the school's track team, clocking a season-best 12.07 in the 100 meters at the Atlantic Ten Conference Championship.

As a senior, Sidbury was again an All-CAA first-team choice, as he was also named an All-American first-team choice. He registered 11.5 sacks, the third-highest season total by a Spider, as he collected a career-high 56 tackles (26 solos), along with 20 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He also caused three fumbles and recovered another, helping the team rank 12th in the nation vs. the rush, allowing only 94.0 yards per game.

GENERAL REPORT

Body Structure: Sidbury is shorter than ideal for the classic 4-3 defensive end position, but has very good muscle development. He has a compact frame with a well-defined upper torso. He has ideal arm length and reach (35-inch arm length), showing the upper-body strength to strike with force. He has thick thighs and calves and good change-of-direction agility, along with low body fat. His frame can carry more bulk, if he is to play end in a 4-3 alignment.

Athletic Ability: While he might not play up to his timed speed consistently on the field, when Sidbury plays with his hand down, he shows very good quickness off the snap and the suddenness to gain advantage over a lethargic blocker. He compensates for a lack of ideal height with good leverage and balance on the move. He shows urgency moving down the line and has made good strides in improving his footwork dropping back in pass coverage (could be a good linebacker candidate in the 3-4 defense). He uses his long arms with efficiency in defeating reach blocks and has a strong hand thrust to jolt offensive linemen coming out of their stance. His lateral agility allows him to play faster than his timed speed. He shows good flexibility changing direction and his low center of gravity prevents blockers from locking on and dragging him to the ground. He shows good knee bend and hip flexibility to stay up moving through trash. GRADE: 7.2

Football Sense: Sidbury needs only normal reps to retain. Earlier in his career, he relied mostly on his explosiveness, but in 2008, he demonstrated much better awareness and a good feel for blocking schemes. He shows good field alertness and a nose for the ball, evident by the high amount of forced fumbles in 2008 than from previous seasons combined. As a senior, showed better anticipation skills and has become a defensive playmaker due to his ability to jump the play. He has a much better understanding of pass rush technique this year and plays with better control than he did in the past. GRADE: 6.2

Character: Sidbury is a good program player who has never been a problem for the coaches. He is a friendly, street-smart person who keeps his teammates loose with his with his likeable personality. The thing that impresses most is the way he kept the younger players under control during their title chase, acting like a coach on the field. GRADE: 6.3

Competitiveness: Even before his breakout 2008 season, Sidbury was the unquestioned leader of the defensive line. He gives total effort on the field and plays until the whistle. He has a nonstop motor, he is very tough and competitive in the trenches. Even when he doesn't make the play, he gives enough effort to make blockers have to account for him on every down. You can see the urgency in his play, the fire in the belly that all great pass rushers display in their pursuit of the quarterback. The thing that separates him from the rest is his willingness to run down plays from the back side, despite usually giving up several inches and at least 50 pounds to the offensive tackle blocking him. GRADE: 6.8

Work Habits: Sidbury has good leadership skills. He is a by-example leader that takes well to hard coaching and shows no concern for his body in his determination to make the play. He is a self-starter who plays with tremendous urgency. He knows when he needs to get vocal with teammates and is the type whose performances push others to play up to their ability. He loves to practice and you can usually find him at the Richmond facility, whether working out in the training room or watching film of his upcoming opponent. GRADE: 6.3

ATHLETIC REPORT

GRADE: 6.43

Explosion/Pursuit: Sidbury has greatly improved his explosiveness off the snap. He has learned the proper technique of opening his hips and dipping his shoulders to get a strong push in his initial thrust. He has the sudden burst to quickly get around the corner. His leverage off the ball allows him to get almost instant penetration. Has the first step to beat an offensive tackle off the edge by generating more power with his shoulders, and he can time his jumps and anticipate the flow of the ball. GRADE: 6.3

Strength at Point: Sidbury generates good leverage -- his lack of height actually helps him -- and taller offensive linemen cannot stay low enough in their pads to get underneath him. He has great weight room strength and is starting to understand how to translate that to the field (better rip, swim and club moves). His lower-body thickness and power allows him to split double teams and he demonstrates the flexibility to drop his weight and redirect when the gaps are plugged. Most small-sized rush ends struggle to play the double team, but Sidbury' balance, leverage and long arm reach allows him to defeat the combo block and reroute in back-side pursuit. GRADE: 6.4

Use of Hands: With experience, Sidbury learned how to rely upon his long reach and good hand strength. He does a very good job of defeating blocks with his powerful hand jolt. He has the ability to dip his shoulder to reach, grab and jerk the blocker off his stance. He has become very alert to use his hands to guard his legs vs. the chop block. He no longer lets blockers get into his body on run blocks, doing a nice job with his body lean and ability to slip off the offensive tackle's inside shoulder. He has also shown improvement in using his hands to gain inside position. GRADE: 6.3

Lateral Pursuit/Effort: Sidbury worked hard during the 2008 offseason to improve his change-of-direction skills. He is relentless in pursuit and by opening his hips quicker, he no longer struggles to break down plays in space. He shows urgency in his pursuit and has more than enough quickness and balance to move through traffic and make plays laterally. His in-line quickness allows him to close almost immediately in the short area. GRADE: 6.7

Tackling Ability: Before 2008, Sidbury would grab and make arm tackles. He started to grasp the concept of gaining position, staying low in his pads and maintaining leverage in order to make the wrap-up tackle. He no longer overruns the play, showing the field vision to sift through traffic and quickly see the play develop. He makes good body adjustments to slip through trash and make plays in the short area. He has also learned how to use his natural strength and legitimate foot speed to bounce to the outside in order to string out and make plays along the sidelines. GRADE: 5.7

Run Defense: Before, blockers would engulf Sidbury to lock on and wall him off. With greatly improved hand technique, he refined his bull rush moves, utilizing his strength to deliver a thud with his club and rip moves. He might lack the ideal size to face up to the larger blockers, so he compensates with quickness off the snap that lets him get good penetration and disrupt the play. He drops his weight and plays with leverage and has a good feel for blocking schemes. Plays low, and can push a lead blocker back on running plays. GRADE: 6.3

Pass Rush: Despite his lack of size, Sidbury sees the field well and is quick to spot even the slightest of creases in order to shoot the gaps. He is effective with his counter move working to the inside. His spin move and quickness lets him easily defeat slower offensive tackles when working off the edge. He has good hand usage combined with a burst to play off blocks and consistently pressure the quarterback. He has the strength to bull rush and push the pocket. His flexibility has also improved, as he does a better job of opening his hips (used to be a little stiff and took false steps when changing direction). GRADE: 6.2

Closing on the QB: Sidbury's short-area burst lets him close on the quarterback almost instantly. He has a relentless nature chasing from the backside and the ability to stop, plant and redirect in order to maintain pursuit on the passer. He uses his hand jolt with force to rock the blockers back on their heels and is very effective as a wrap up tackler. His tackle technique lets him generate the power needed to force turnovers in the backfield. GRADE: 7.7

Instincts/Recognition: Sidbury has developed a good feel for blocking schemes. He is quick to pick up offensive adjustments at the pre-snap and has that steady motor to give good effort until the whistle. He is not the type who can be fooled by play action or misdirection. He has a natural feel for the flow of the ball and despite size limitations; he is effective at sniffing out the play working through trash. He is quicker to react in passing situations, especially when given a clear lane, but even though he gives up considerable bulk and height when working in-line, he has the leverage and lower-body strength to consistently make plays vs. the run. GRADE: 6.3

Compares To: HUGH DOUGLAS, ex-Philadelphia -- Sidbury could also be compared to Philadelphia's Trent Cole and Denver's Elvis Dumervil. They all might lack the size you look for in a 4-3 defensive end, but all have been able to compensate for that deficiency with their long wing span and explosion off the snap. Some scouts compare him to the Colts' Dwight Freeney, but Sidbury is not that fast or explosive and has shown more consistent leverage as a run defender at this stage in his career. His style of play is similar to that of Douglas, in that he uses leverage and natural power to defeat bigger blockers but can also pick up sacks in bunches with effort.

OVERALL GRADE: 6.45

--Report by Dave-Te Thomas

Sidbury started 31-of-52 games at Richmond, recording 145 tackles (71 solos) with 20.5 sacks for minus-111 yards and 38 stops for losses of 159 yards … Registered six quarterback pressures, as he caused four fumbles, recovered two others and deflected four passes … His 20.5 quarterback sacks rank fourth in school history behind Marc Megna (32.0, 1994-98), Steve Quander (25.0, 1994-97) and Tom Coles (24.5, 1986-88) … Posted 11.5 sacks in 2008, moving to third on Richmond's season-record list behind Marl Megna's 13.0 in 1998 and 14.0 in 1997 … Became the seventh player in school history invited to play in the prestigious Senior Bowl, joining defensive end John Hilton, offensive tackle Wayne Fowler (1970), defensive back Jeff Nixon (1979), tailback Barry Redden (1982), safety Brian Jordan (1989) and linebacker Shawn Barber (1998) … His four quarterback sacks vs. Montana in the 2008 FCS title game set the NCAA record for most sacks in a playoff game and were also the most sacks registered by a Richmond player in a contest.

Earned All-American Dream Team honors from The NFL Draft Report and rated the best defensive end prospect below the major college ranks by that scouting information service … Added All-Colonial Athletic Association honors from the league's coaches and media … Named College Sporting News' Playoff Most Valuable Player … Helped Richmond earn the school's first NCAA Championship in any sport on its way to a school-record 13-3 record. The Spiders won nine consecutive games to end the season, which stands as the longest winning streak in the FCS entering 2009 … Started all 16 games he played in at left defensive end. Recording a career-high 56 tackles (26 solo), as he led the Spiders with 11.5 sacks for minus 61 yards (third-best season total in school history) and led the CAA with 20 stops for losses totaling 80 yards … Registered four quarterback pressures, as he caused three fumbles, recovered another and deflected two passes … Had at least one sack in eight games and at least one tackle behind the line of scrimmage in 13 contests.

Elon College … Sidbury opened the season with four tackles, 1.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, including one for a 3-yard loss, as he recovered a fumble on the play after stopping Scott Riddle at the Richmond 27 at the start of the fourth quarter.

Virginia … Gave the Cavaliers offensive line fits trying to contain him, as Sidbury made four stops, including a 4-yard sack of QB Peter Lalich, causing a fumble at the UVA 25 with 3:39 left in the first half.

Villanova … Sibury had just one tackle, but it was good for an 8-yard sack of QB Chris Whitney with 3:40 to play in the second quarter.

Virginia Military Institute … Sidbury followed with four tackles, killing a late second quarter possession by first stopping Zach Collins for a 5-yard loss and followed on the next snap by leveling Tim Maypray for minus 4 yards.

James Madison … The left defensive end delivered five tackles with 1.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage … On back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter, he took down Jamal Sullivan for a 2-yard loss and sacked Rodney Landers for minus 4 yards, causing a fumble at the Richmond 29.

Hofstra … Sidbury posted four tackles with 2.5 stops for losses, including a sack of QB Steve Probst with 0:12 left in the first quarter … With 1:47 left to play, he again sacked Probst for minus 8 yards.

Delaware … The defensive captain was in on three hits, including a third-&-6 sack of QB Lou Ritacco for a 4-yard loss, forcing Delaware to punt.

William & Mary … In the regular season finale, Sidbury came up with five tackles (2 solos), two stops behind the line of scrimmage, a sack, a pressure and a forced fumble … On a 5-yard sack of QB Jake Phillips, he caused a fumble that Richmond recovered to kick a quick 18-yard field goal as timed expired in the first half.

Eastern Kentucky (NCAA FCS Playoffs) … Sidbury registered three of his four quarterback pressures for the season, including one on a third-&-17 incomplete pass by QB Allan Holland, forcing EKU to punt … In the fourth quarter, he sacked Holland for a 6-yard loss at the EKU 26.

Montana (FCS Championship Game) … Sidbury ended his career in glorious fashion, leading the Spiders to a 24-7 win, as he captured Game MVP honors after four of his five solo tackles resulted in sacks, a school game-record (also set the FCS playoff game mark) … He forced Montana to try a 33-yard field goal that missed, after he sacked QB Cole Bergquist for a 5-yard loss on a first quarter third-&-goal snap at the Richmond 16 … In the third stanza, he took down Bergquist for minus 12 yards at the Montana 6 … He opened the fourth quarter with another sack of Bergquist for a 4-yard loss (sack moved Sidbury to sixth all-time on the school sack record list) … He then snuffed out Montana's final drive by sacking Bergquist on a third-&-6 play at the Richmond 22, followed by pressuring the QB to throw an incomplete fourth-&-7 pass.

Earned All-CAA first-team honors, in addition to being named to the All-State team by the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association … Started all 13 games at left defensive end, recording 48 tackles (22 solos), as he ranked second on the team with five sacks for minus-33 yards and 8.5 stops for losses of 42 yards … Added a pair of quarterback pressures, as he caused and recovered a fumble … Also deflected one pass … Missed the bulk of the Wofford game and the entire Appalachian State clash with a high ankle sprain.

Opened the season with four solo tackles vs. Vanderbilt … Delivered five tackles that included an 8-yard sack and 2.5 stops for minus 15 yards vs. Bucknell … Added a 4-yard sack vs. Towson and assisted on a pair of sacks while producing six tackles (2 solos) in the Villanova clash … Followed with another six tackles (4 solos), including a stop behind the line of scrimmage vs. Delaware … Posted five assisted tackles, sharing a 5-yard sack vs. William Mary … Caused a fumble on a 10-yard sack and was in on five tackles (3 solos) vs. Eastern Kentucky in the opening round of the NCAA FCS playoffs.

Played in nine games, sitting out vs. Delaware and William & Mary with an ankle sprain … Started at left defensive end vs. Northeastern … Finished with 17 tackles (11 solos) that included a 5-yard sack and 5.5 stops for losses of 18 yards.

Had four tackles and two stops for losses of 6 yards vs. Bucknell, followed by 1.5 stops for minus-5 yards and three hits vs. Northeastern … Assisted on two sacks totaling 5 yards in losses while delivering two tackles vs. New Hampshire.

Played in 13 games at left defensive end, starting vs. Hampton … Recovered a blocked punt for a 4-yard return in that game, as he also recorded 24 tackles (12 solos) with three sacks for minus-12 yards and four stops for losses of 19 yards … Had one pass break-up.

Suited up for the season opener vs. North Carolina State before receiving a redshirt status.

2006: Sat out the Delaware (10/14) and William & Mary (11/18) games with an ankle sprain.

2007: Missed most of the Wofford clash (12/01) and sat out the Appalachian State game (12/07) with a high ankle sprain.

Combine: 4.53 in the 40-yard dash … 1.53 10-yard dash … 2.63 20-yard dash … 4.43 20-yard shuttle … 7.46 three-cone drill … 35-inch vertical jump … 10'0" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 28 times … 35 5/8-inch arm length … 10 3/4-inch hands.

Competed twice on the Richmond track team … Competed in the shot put, finishing 10th at the Atlantic Ten Conference Championship and finished 11th in that event with a 41' 4 1/2" toss at the University of North Carolina Invitational during the 2005-06 outdoor season … Competed in the 100-meter dash at the 2006-07 Atlantic Ten Championship, clocking 12.07.

Attended Oxon Hill (Cheltenham, Md.) High School, playing football for head coach Randolph Warren … Earned All-State, All-Metro, All-County and All-League as a senior … Served as team captain his final two seasons … The three-year starter was also a member of the Washington, D.C. Golden 11 team and played in the Prince Georges County All-Star Game … Lettered in track, winning the county title and finished second at the state finals in the shot put … Received academic accolades and was an Honor Roll student as part of the Science and Vo-Tech program.

Communications major … Son of Gisele and Lawrence Sidbury … Born 2/06/86 … Resides in Cheltenham, Maryland.