Mike Connolly
Class: R-Senior
Position: LB
Height: 6-1
Weight: 235
Previous School: Cardinal Mooney HS
Hometown: Sarasota, Fla.
An Inside Look from the Coaching Staff: Extremely powerful, strong and explosive football player … one of the most highly recruited players on the current Flames roster … has played behind some experienced players … outstanding in the spring … beginning to become instinctive … runs a 4.7 40 … very intelligent.
2009 (R-So.): Saw playing time in all 11 games … finished the year with 19 total tackles, including eight solo and 11 assisted stops … one of 11 players on the team with an interception, helping Liberty rank No. 16 in the country in total interceptions (17) … ranked tied for sixth in the Big South in interception return yardage (50) … also finished the year with a fumble recovery, which came in Liberty's victory over VMI, helping the Flames set a new single-game school record with six fumble recoveries … posted his second and third-best games of the year against conference foes Presbyterian (three tackles) and VMI (four tackles) … finished the N.C. Central game with a season-high five tackles, including four assisted stops … helped Liberty finish the year ranked No. 24 in scoring defense (19.09), No. 24 in fumbles recovered (12), No. 1 in turnover margin (1.91) and No. 9 in turnovers gained (29).
2008 (R-Fr.): Gained valuable experience by playing in all 12 games … finished the year with five tackles … one solo and four assisted … also added an assisted tackle for a loss of one yard during the first two games of the year … tallied two assisted stops against North Greenville and Glenville State to open the year … picked up a solo stop against VMI.
2007 (Fr.): Redshirted.
Prep: Graduated from Cardinal Mooney High School … four-year letterwinner … two-year varsity starter … member of an undefeated freshman team … posted 45 tackles, 10 sacks, three pass break ups and a safety as a freshman … started with the junior varsity team as a sophomore, recording 50 tackles, 10 sacks, five pass break ups and three forced fumbles … selected team's Most Valuable Defensive Lineman as a junior … posted 67 tackles, 11 sacks, six pass break ups, three forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown as a junior … helped Cardinal Mooney High School to a district and regional championship as a senior and to the state semifinals … all-area second-team honoree as a senior … was selected to the PAL Bowl All-Star game as a senior after finishing the year with 25 tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles … team captain during his senior campaign … selected his team's Most Inspirational Player as a senior, as he returned from ACL surgery in less than five months to play in the final five games of the year … varsity basketball starter … seven-year member of an AAU basketball team … named to the honor roll six-straight semesters … National Honor Society member … Key Club.
ASU #55 
