Honors and Awards
2018: Butkus Award semifinalist, Burlsworth Trophy semifinalist, third-team All-Big Ten (coaches), All-Big Ten honorable mention (media), NFF Hampshire Honor Society, Academic All-Big Ten
2017: All-Big Ten honorable mention, Academic All-Big Ten
2016: Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 31), Academic All-Big Ten
Notable: Former walk-on earned scholarship prior to 2015 season
Career: Played in 52 games with 26 starts at inside linebacker … made 251 tackles, 29.0 TFLs, 6.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions ... part of senior class that went 42-12 (.778), including a 27-8 (.771) mark in Big Ten play and a 4-0 record in bowl games … graduated with degree in economics in December 2018
2018 Season: Earned fourth letter, playing in 12 games with 12 starts at inside linebacker ... named team captain ... team's second-leading tackler with 89 total stops, including 10.0 TFLs and 3.0 sacks ... made career-high 14 tackles at Northwestern on Oct. 27 ... had 10 tackles, 2.0 TFLs and 1.0 sack at Penn State on Nov. 10 ... finished with 9 tackles and 1.0 TFL in triple-overtime win at Purdue on Nov. 17 ... had 8 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack and a forced fumble at Michigan on Oct. 13
2017 Season: Earned third letter, playing in all 14 games with 6 starts at inside linebacker ... recorded team-leading 88 tackles, including 11.0 TFLs ... contributed to unit that ranked No. 2 nationally in total defense (262.1 yards per game), No. 3 in scoring defense (13.9 points per game), No. 3 in rushing defense (98.4 ypg) and No. 1 in pass efficiency defense (96.4) … made 8 tackles, broke up 2 passes and had 1 interception vs. Miami in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30 ... racked up 9 tackles, including 7 solo stops and 1.0 TFL vs. Ohio State in Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 2 ... was dominant at Minnesota on Nov. 25, recording 6 tackles, 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks ... notched 10 tackles, including 1.5 TFLs, vs. Michigan on Nov. 18 ... had 10 tackles in Big Ten opener vs. Northwestern on Sept. 30 ... recorded 9 tackles, including 2.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack and a forced fumble, vs. Iowa on Nov. 13 ... made 9 tackles, including 8 solo stops and 2.0 TFLs, vs. Maryland on Oct. 21 ... had 6 tackles, including 1.0 TFL, vs. Purdue on Oct. 14 ... notched 4 tackles and a fumble recovery vs. Nebraska on Oct. 7 ... had 3 tackles, including 1.0 TFL, vs. Illinois on Oct. 28 ... made 6 tackles vs. Indiana on Nov. 4 ... recorded 5 tackles on Sept. 9 vs. Florida Atlantic ... made 3 tackles, including 0.5 TFL, vs. Utah State on Sept. 1 ...
2016 Season: Earned second letter, playing in all 14 games with 8 starts at inside linebacker … recorded 59 tackles, including 7.0 TFLs … logged a career-high 11 tackles, including 7 solo stops and 2.0 TFLs, as well as a career-best 2 pass breakups vs. Nebraska on Oct. 29, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors … made 8 tackles in Big Ten Football Championship Game vs. Penn State on Dec. 3 … also recorded 8 stops vs. Northwestern on Nov. 5 … had 5 tackles, 4 of which were unassisted, in Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic vs. Western Michigan on Jan. 2 … recorded his first career interception against Illinois on Nov. 12, returning it for 12 yards
2015 Season: Earned first letter, playing in 12 games … contributor to unit that ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring defense (13.7 ppg) and No. 2 in total defense (268.5 ypg) ... recorded 15 total tackles, including 1.0 for loss … matched career high with four tackles (all solo) in Holiday Bowl vs. USC on Dec. 30 … logged four tackles, including 0.5 TFL, vs. Rutgers on Oct. 31 … recorded first multiple-tackle game with three total stops vs. Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 12
2014 Season: Redshirt season
High School: Three-year letterwinner in football ... helped Eden Prairie to Minnesota Class 6A football state championships as a sophomore, junior and senior ... named All-Lake Conference as a sophomore, junior and senior ... served as team captain as a senior ... completed 3 of 7 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns in 2013 state championship game ... threw for 14 touchdown passes and no interceptions as a senior ... also won state championship in lacrosse as a junior ... three-year letterwinner in lacrosse ... AP Scholar and Gold Cord recipient ... high school coach was Mike Grant
Personal: Parents are Steve and Christi Connelly ... cousin, Anders Lee, plays for the New York Islanders in the NHL
