The defense's sparkplug from the strong-side linebacker position, Levy provided the Badgers with a quality blitzer with the quickness to easily cover receivers on deep routes. Ever since he was inserted into the starting lineup as a junior, he has consistently delivered impact plays in the opposition's backfield.

In 21 of his last 39 games, he registered at least one tackle behind the line of scrimmage or a sack. Creating turnovers has been his specialty, as he blocked one kick, intercepted two passes, caused six fumbles and registered six fumble recoveries during his time in the starting lineup.

Levy was a Midwest Top 100 selection by Super Prep during his senior year at Vincent High School. The two-time All-Conference selection added All-State first-team honors as a senior. He served as team captain in each of his last three seasons, twice earning squad Most Valuable Player honors.

In his final season, the linebacker recorded 84 tackles, including 21 stops behind the line of scrimmage, along with five sacks and four forced fumbles. He also saw action on offense that year, catching 12 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns. In addition to football, he also lettered in basketball and track.

Levy made an immediate contribution on special teams for Wisconsin as a true freshman in 2005. He also saw limited action at strong-side outside linebacker, producing 18 tackles (13 solos) with a 7-yard sack. He also caused two fumbles and recovered one on the coverage units.

Levy moved into the starting lineup at strong-side linebacker in 2006, earning All-Big Ten Conference academic honors. He ranked fourth on the team with 50 tackles (26 solos), registering three turnovers on an interception and two forced fumbles. He had a career-high six sacks to go with seven pressures and 7.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He also blocked a kick and knocked down a pair of pass attempts.

In 2007, Levy earned Player of the Week honors three times, as he again manned the strong-side position. He was in on 70 tackles (49 solos), the second-highest total on the team. He added three sacks among his career-high 10 stops for loss and posted a pair of pressures. He caused two fumbles, recovered two others and deflected two passes in 13 contests.

The Tom Weisner Award recipient was named All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention as a senior. He struggled during the first month, playing with a groin injury that had sidelined him late in fall camp. He still managed to place second on the squad with 73 tackles (28 solos). He recovered two fumbles, advancing one 45 yards to set up a Badgers' field goal and broke up three passes to go with his second career interception. His 9.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage led the second-level defenders, much like his five sacks did.

GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 5.9

Body Structure: Levy has a developing frame with good overall muscle development, toned arms, tight waist, broad shoulders, thick chest, thick thighs and knotted calves. He added 10 pounds of bulk to his frame recently with no loss of his impressive timed speed, but will need to add more weight to compete in the NFL, especially if he hopes to remain at strong-side linebacker.

Athletic Ability: Levy is a good athlete with just adequate hip snap, but shows good speed, burst, agility and a physical demeanor. He plays at a low pad level and has a sudden burst to explode past blockers coming off the edge. He has just adequate strength, but is active using his hands to gain leverage and shed. He also is quite effective at using his wing span to reach out and drag down ball carriers from behind or just wrap and secure them. GRADE: 6.3

Football Sense: Levy is very athletic for his size, but tends to be a crash and burn type that lacks ideal instincts. He does not show the ability to get good depth in his pass drops due to his adequate hip snap and struggles to maintain eye contact with the receiver and ball on deep routes. He plays with good focus on plays in front of him though and knows what to do once he locates the ball near the line. He is a decent student and needs only normal reps to retain. He plays with good alertness in the box, doing a nice job of picking up blocking schemes. His problems come when he has to handle man coverage assignments. GRADE: 5.6

Character: Levy is a street tough character but is respected by teammates and has good leadership qualities. He is a mentally tough player with good confidence in his ability. He has no known off-field issues. GRADE: 6.0

Competitiveness: Levy is a tough competitor who plays hard, stays focused, handles pressure in the heat of the battle and is very team oriented. You know what you are getting with him - a player that loves the challenge and will not hesitate to take on the bigger blockers. He showed much better consistency in his play in 2008, but for some reason each of his last three years he would run into this stretch of midseason games where he would just shut down. GRADE: 5.8

Work Habits: Levy is a hard worker in the weight room, but it is not evident by his strength totals. He is a vocal leader who has good field savvy and is a solid presence in the locker room. He is coachable, other players respect his fire in the belly and he sets a good example for the younger teammates on the field. GRADE: 6.0

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 5.63

Key and Diagnostic Skills: Levy is a player with decent instincts, but at times seems slow to read and react in the box. He shows a tendency to be reckless and struggles to break down in space. Off the edge, he does a better job of seeing the play develop. When penetrating the line, he is quick to locate the ball. He struggles with play-action at times, and is marginal locating the ball when playing in man coverage (has problems identifying what the offense throws at him on long routes). He is best when left to roam the field. GRADE: 5.5

Playing Strength and Explosion: The thing you notice on film is that Levy does not have great strength to escape when he gets attacked in traffic. Still, despite giving up considerable bulk, he will not hesitate to combat vs. the larger offensive linemen. He just does not fit and fold well and can get stonewalled by bigger blockers when playing a nine-tech. He is not the type that will maul a ball carrier, but does generate a good thud on contact. He is an adequate leverage player, but despite being combative he does not always use his hands with force to play off blocks. GRADE: 5.7

Lateral Pursuit/Range: Levy lacks the change of direction skills to be explosive, as he is too stiff in his hips and plays with little knee bend. He needs to do a better job of bringing his feet when tackling. He has a good burst on the ball when coming off the edge, but despite his speed he struggles when he tries to get through trash (lacks bulk). He has improved over the years, but earlier in his career he was too reckless in his play. When he stays under control to run down plays, he shows good urgency getting to the ball without over-pursuing. GRADE: 5.3

Use of Hands: Levy lacks the hand jolt to reroute tight ends and receivers, doing a marginal job of directing the opponent's release. He needs to play bigger than his size indicates because he does not have that "blow 'em up" type of power to put behind his hand punch. It is rare to see him shock and jolt the offensive linemen. He also needs to use his hands more effectively to keep blockers off his feet. He does not demonstrate the natural hands needed to be efficient as a pass thief. However, he is good at using his reach to work around the ball carrier in attempts to dislodge the ball from the runner. GRADE: 5.4

Tackling Ability: Levy is a good wrap-up tackler, but is more effective working in space than at the line. He does not like playing over the tight end and would prefer to roam the field and sniff out the plays. He is a physical striker when he stays low in his pads. He also shows the wing span to reach out and drag ball carriers to the ground. He brings a good thump upon impact and will jar the ball loose when he attacks the ball carrier's body. When he tries to take a side, he reverts to arm tackles, causing a few whiffs. GRADE: 6.4

Run Defense: While Levy is a quick reactor who hits with a thud, he needs a free lane in order to make plays in-line (tends to try to overpower the offensive lineman too much rather than slip off or avoid blocks, resulting in him failing to shed quickly). He shows good leverage on the move and when given a clear lane, can run down hill to fill the lane. His range is lacking on outside running plays and despite his timed speed, his hip tightness negates any chance to generate a sudden burst needed to head off the ball carriers near the sidelines. In the last two years, he has gotten much smarter and now plays under better control, but still shows urgency to the ball. He is a good trailer type than can run down plays from the back side, but has better straight-line quickness rather than lateral agility. GRADE: 6.2

Pass Defense: This is a problem area, as Levy just seems lost in attempts to anticipate the flight of the ball. He has the speed to cover, but fails to open his hips or come out of his backpedal without having to gather in order to accelerate. He struggles in man coverage, as he does not show good awareness while dropping back. He gets only adequate depth in those drops and needs to keep his head on a better swivel. GRADE: 5.3

Zone Defense: Levy also has zone problems with vision and building off of the receivers and getting depth in his drops. He simply lacks the eyes to keep track of the ball in flight. It is not like he does not understand zone concepts, but he has marginal anticipation and slow ability to react to the thrown ball. GRADE: 5.1

Pass Rush and Blitz: While Levy gets a good push off the blocker when he uses his hands, there are times he just short arms, resulting in him getting absorbed inside. He gives total effort coming off the edge and shows explosion when left uncontested. He seems to generate a better burst with his hand on the ground than when in a normal linebacker's stance, thanks to his straight-ahead speed. GRADE: 5.8

Compares To: ALEX LEWIS, Detroit -- Both are smaller than you want, but has that incredible quickness just looking to be harnessed. Levy is very effective blitzing off the edge, but seems to generate a better burst when he comes off the snap with his hand on the ground rather than when standing in a normal linebacker's stance. He is more comfortable working in space, as he likes to use his speed to avoid rather than utilize his strength to take on offensive linemen. Some scouts compare him to the Titans' Keith Bulluck, but Levy's inability to locate the ball or eye the quarterback in passing situations shoes he is not the complete player some would like you to believe he is. In a draft that is lacking in quality linebackers, some team will overlook his pass coverage deficiencies and draft him higher than his grade indicates.

OVERALL GRADE: 5.68

--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas

Levy started his last 39 games of his career, seeing action in 50 contests … Recorded 211 tackles (116 solos) with 15.0 sacks for minus 105 yards, 28.0 stops for losses totaling 155 yards and 10 quarterback pressures … Caused six fumbles and recovered six others, returning one 45 yards … Deflected seven passes, intercepted two others and also blocked a kick.

All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention by the league's coaches and media … Recipient of the Tom Wiesner Award, given to a senior football player who most exemplifies the leadership and courage that Tom Wiesner displayed throughout his life … Started all thirteen games at strong-side linebacker, despite missing a week of fall camp and being hampered early in the year by an August groin pull … Still managed to rank second on the team with 73 tackles (28 solos), collecting five sacks for minus 41 yards, 9.5 stops for losses of 51 yards and one quarterback pressure … Recovered two fumbles, advancing one 45 yards to set up a Badgers scoring drive … Gained one yard on an interception return and deflected three other passes … Part of a defensive squad that allowed the opponent to gain an average of 329.08 yards per game in total offense.

Akron … Opened the season with six tackles (3 solos), including one on a third-down play that saw Levy level tailback Alex Allen for a 2-yard loss, bringing out the Akron punting unit.

Fresno State … Levy registered nine tackles with a pass deflection and three stops behind the line of scrimmage … Killed one scoring drive when he picked off a Tom Brandstater pass and another when he sacked the quarterback for a 5-yard loss on a third-down play … Caught tailback Lonyae Miller twice for losses of 4 yards.

Michigan … The linebacker was in on five tackles, bringing the crowd to its feet when he exploded into Sam McGuffie, upending the tailback for a 3-yard loss.

Ohio State … Introduced highly touted freshman quarterback Terrell Pryor to Badgers football, chasing down the first-year player for a 16-yard sack … Went on to record 10 tackles (6 solos) for the day.

Penn State and Iowa … Had two quiet games, registering two tackles in each contest.

Illinois … Levy bounced back with nine tackles (3 solos) and 1.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, including a 7-yard sack of QB Juice Williams.

Michigan State … Three of Levy's six tackles came on third-down snaps.

Indiana … The strong-side linebacker posted just four tackles (3 solos), but he deflected a third-down pass and recovered a fumble by the Hoosiers' Ben Chappell at the Wisconsin 4, returning the ball 45 yards to set up a Badgers 19-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Cal Poly … Had two third-down tackles among his six stops (2 solos) in the season finale.

Florida State (Champs Sports Bowl) … Levy closed out his career by registering eight tackles (4 solos) and a pass deflection … He also sacked QB Christian Ponder twice for losses totaling 13 yards.

Levy started all thirteen games at strong-side linebacker, earning Big Ten Conference Player of the Week honors vs. Indiana and team Player of the Game accolades in the Penn State and Northern Illinois clashes … Finished second on the team with 70 tackles (49 solos) and placed third on the Badgers with ten stops for losses of 53 yards … Credited with three sacks for minus 19 yards and two quarterback pressures … Caused two fumbles, recovered two others and deflected a pair of passes.

Recorded six solo tackles vs. The Citadel and had seven more (6 solos) with a stop for a 12-yard loss and a pass break-up in the Iowa contest … Totaled five tackles, causing a fumble when he sacked QB Brian Hoyer for a 9-yard loss vs. Michigan State … Collected five tackles (3 solos), as he took down tailback Rashad Mendenhall behind the line of scrimmage vs. Illinois … Came up with six tackles and a stop for a loss vs. Penn State and was in on five tackles with a 7-yard sack and two stops behind the line of scrimmage in the Northern Illinois game … Caused a fumble when he sacked QB Kellen Lewis for a 3-yard loss and delivered eight hits (7 solos) vs. Indiana … Tallied five solo tackles, grabbing tailback Chris Wells behind the line of scrimmage twice for minus 14 yards in the Ohio State clash … Registered seven tackles (6 solos) and a stop for a loss vs. Minnesota in the regular season finale … Had six solo tackles vs. Tennessee in the Outback Bowl.

Earned Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors … Named the team's Player of the Game vs. Western Illinois … Took over strong-side linebacker chores, ranking fourth on the team with 50 tackles (26 solos), including a career-high six sacks for minus 38 yards, leading the squad in that category … Accounted for 7.5 stops for losses totaling 44 yards and made seven pressures … Caused and recovered a pair of fumbles … Deflected two passes and intercepted another … Also blocked a kick … Helped the Badgers rank fifth in the nation in total defense (253.08 ypg) and second in scoring defense (12.08 ppg).

In his first career start, Levy responded with two stops behind the line of scrimmage and five tackles vs. Bowling Green … Followed with two pressures and four hits vs. Western Illinois and six tackles (3 solos) with two sacks for minus 6 yards and a pressure in the San Diego State game … Added four solo tackles, including a 5-yard sack of QB Chad Henne vs. Michigan … Delivered seven hits and a pressure vs. Illinois and came up with five tackles, two pressures and a pass deflection, as he also caused a fumble on one of his two sacks of QB Anthony Morelli for minus 16 yards vs. Penn State … Posted three tackles and a 3-yard sack in the regular season finale vs. Buffalo … Had a pressure, three solo tackles and his first career interception in a 17-14 decision over Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl.

Played in eleven games as a true freshman … Listed as a reserve at strong-side linebacker, but made his most impact on special teams … Finished with 18 tackles (13 solos), a 7-yard sack, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

His first career sack was a 7-yarder vs. Penn State … Had a season-high four tackles vs. Illinois … Caused fumbles in back-to-back games vs. Northwestern and Minnesota, recovering the turnover vs. the Gophers.

2008: Limited in fall camp and early in the season by a groin pull.

2009: Suffered a right hamstring strain that prevented him from completing agility tests at the NFL Combine.

4.50 in the 40-yard dash … 1.57 10-yard dash … 2.62 20-yard dash … 4.11 20-yard shuttle … 7.13 three-cone drill … 35.5-inch vertical jump … 10'3" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 19 times … Suffered a right hamstring strain that prevented him from completing agility tests at the NFL Combine.

Attended Vincent (Milwaukee, Wisc.) High School, playing football for head coach Elliot Lightfoot … Midwest Top 100 selection by Super Prep during his senior year … The two-time All-Conference selection added All-State first-team honors as a senior … Served as team captain in each of his last three seasons, twice earning squad Most Valuable Player honors … In his final season, the linebacker recorded 84 tackles, including 21 stops behind the line of scrimmage, along with five sacks and four forced fumbles … Also saw action on offense that year, catching 12 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns … Added letters in basketball and track.

Sociology major … Son of Paula and Rodney Levy … Born 3/26/87 … Resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.