To say that Dizon is a tackling machine would be an understatement. Including bowl games, he registered 463 tackles during his career, the eighth-best total in NCAA major college history and the second-best among active players behind Central Michigan's Red Keith (465). No player in college had more total tackles (173) or averaged more tackles per game (13.31) in 2007 than the Buffaloes' weak-side inside linebacker.

Colorado, which recognizes only regular-season statistics, placed Dizon fourth on its all-time record chart. Only Barry Remington (493, 1982-86), Matt Russell (446, 1993-96) and Greg Biekert (441, 1989-92) produced more stops during their CU careers.

In 2007, Dizon became the first Buff defensive player to win Big 12 Conference Player of the Year honors and the first to garner league player of the year honors among Colorado defenders since cornerback Deon Figures earned the nod in 1992, the same year he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back.

"He is very deserving," head coach Dan Hawkins said. "Good things happen to good people and he is one of those guys. He has had a tremendous season; he's played very well and been very productive. He has been very consistent and very solid, all the things I've said before. He shows up every day, he's a very humble guy, he plays hurt, great leader -- just very solid all the way around. He should be the Butkus (Award) guy as well."

"He's everything you want in a young man, everything you want in a football player. I just hope everybody votes right, because I know every scout who comes in here, bar none, says he's the best linebacker in the country," Hawkins stated.

Physically, the squat and powerful Hawaiian more resembles Mike Singletary, Tom Jackson and Sam Mills, among the many cerebral, fiery and undersized linebackers who had long NFL careers than he does Brian Urlacher, who fits the ideal prototype. "Me being little, me being tiny, I've got the feet to make up for it," Dizon said. "I've got the will, I've got the heart and everything you ask for in a small player to do a big man's job."

At Waimea High School, Dizon earned Prep Football Report and Prep Star All-West honors, earning second-team All-State and Kauai Interscholastic Federation (KIF) All-Star accolades. PFR ranked him as the 65th-best player in the region and the third-ranked running back, calling him "potentially the top fullback on the west coast," and Rivals.com ranked him as the eighth-best running back prospect nationally.

Dizon was injured most of the regular season his senior year, rushing once for a 12-yard touchdown run but catching nine passes for 250 yards and three scores in just over two games. As a junior, he rushed 150 times for 1,157 yards and 13 touchdowns, and caught 15 passes for 175 yards. He started at linebacker on defense and was in on 75 tackles. He also handled some of the punting chores.

Dizon also lettered four times in basketball (forward), where he was a three-time Player of the Year/Island (KIF), as well as a three-time honorable mention All-State performer. He also lettered three times in track (sprints, the 100-meter KIF champion as a junior), and once in soccer.

Perhaps due to his senior high school injury, Dizon was only recruited by Colorado. The linebacker's school, Waimea High, is on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, the westernmost high school in the United States. There were only 20 players on Dizon's high school team, almost all of whom played offense and defense. CU linebackers coach Brian Cabral, who has been at Colorado the last 18 years, is a native of Kailua, Hawaii, and got a tip from a high school coach about Dizon. Without seeing Dizon in person, Cabral sent him some information about Colorado's summer football camp.

Every summer the Dizons would travel from Kauai to New York (Jordon's mother's hometown), usually laying over in Denver. So the summer after Jordon's junior year in high school, the family decided to spend a few extra days in Denver and have Jordon attend Colorado's camp. Colorado offered him a scholarship shortly thereafter. "No one knew who I was," said Dizon. "Colorado was the only school to recruit me. I was at a small school on an island in the middle of the ocean. It was luck of the draw. I went to the camp and met the right people. I didn't even play football my senior year because I got hurt. But Colorado stood by the scholarship offer."

In 2004, Dizon enjoyed one of the finest seasons by a true freshman in school history, as he was CU's first true frosh to be recognized as the Big 12 Conference's Defensive Newcomer of the Year (Associated Press) and the Defensive Freshman of the Year (league coaches) awards. The Sporting News and Rivals.com selected him as a second-team Freshman All-American, he earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors and led all freshmen in the conference in tackles with 82 (51 solo). That also established a CU true freshman record as he bettered the old total by some 15 stops (it was the second-most tackles posted by a frosh, redshirt or true, missing a new mark by just four).

Dizon lined up at weak-side inside linebacker as a sophomore, moving from the outside linebacker spot. He registered 61 tackles (42 solos) with three sacks, seven stops for losses and four pressures. He also broke up a pass and added three special team tackles to garner All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention.

As a junior, Dizon started 11 games at inside linebacker, coming off the bench after the first series vs. Nebraska. He ranked tied with Mississippi's Patrick Willis for sixth in the nation with an average of 11.42 tackles per game. He led the Buffs with 137 tackles (80 solos), adding four sacks, two pressures and 11 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He recovered two fumbles, caused another and delivered 17 third-down stops.

In 2007, Dizon became the first Colorado defender since Matt Russell in 1996 to earn consensus All-American first-team honors. He was a unanimous All-Big 12 first-team pick and league Defensive Player of the Year. During the regular season, he posted 160 tackles (120 solos). Including the Independence Bowl, he registered 173 hits, leading the nation with an average of 13.31 tackles per game. He had 19 third-down tackles, along with four sacks, 11 stops for losses and eight pressures. He also had the first two pass thefts for his career, returning one for a touchdown.

In 48 games, Dizon started 46 times, averaging 9.17 tackles per game, as he collected 440 hits (293 solos) with 12 sacks for minus-97 yards, 35 stops for losses of 137 yards and 15 quarterback pressures. He caused three fumbles, recovered two others and deflected nine passes while participating in 2,547 regular-season snaps. He gained 79 yards with a score on two interceptions and posted 48 third-down stops, the second-most in school history.

Positives: Lacks size, strength and speed, but plays with great intensity and even when he misses a read or gets reckless in his play, he is quick to recover and get back into the action (more so vs. the run than pass) … Builds his acceleration on the move and has good balance and agility making plays in space … Knows he lacks the strength to take on the offensive linemen, but is good at slipping under and avoiding blocks … Will get in trouble when a bigger running back runs over him, but is an efficient low, cut tackler who has the motor that runs until the whistle … Won't give up on the play when beaten and works hard sifting through trash to get a piece of the ballcarrier … When he makes proper reads, he is quick to react to plays in front of him … Makes good adjustments on the move and works hard to scrape off the tackle and get to the ballcarrier … His stiff hips prevent him from redirecting to the cutback lanes, but he has the ability to reach and grab the opponent until help arrives … Despite a lack of power, he won't hesitate to take on bigger blockers … Has good ability to stay on the hip of tight ends and slot receivers in the short-area passing game … Not a physical bull rusher, but has a very good feel for angling, taking a short path to the quarterback to pressure the pocket … Plays with great passion and it feeds off on his teammates … Might lack blazing speed, but has the functional initial quickness, balance and agility … Has adequate ability to learn and retain information … Possesses football intelligence, studies the game, and generally makes calls on the field.

Negatives: Lacks ideal bulk and has marginal muscle tone, both in his upper and lower body regions … Needs to add more weight, but his frame is at maximum growth potential and will affect his speed, which is just adequate … Has good recovery ability, but will get quite reckless on the field and jump the snap at times, resulting in an offside penalty or a missed read … His marginal strength makes him a liability working at the line of scrimmage, as he is instantly engulfed by the larger blockers … Has some hip stiffness that forces him to throttle down when redirecting … Best when slipping under blocks to make the play, as he will often lose the battle if he tries to out-muscle the blocker … Still a work in progress with his instincts and ball anticipation skills, despite 463 tackles to his credit … Slow to adjust on the move … Lacks the sheer power needed to stack or control the offensive linemen … Has a low center of gravity and will tackle low, but when he does so, a strong ballcarrier or lead blocker can knock him back … Gets turned and driven back when trying to shoot the inside gaps … Needs to develop better hand usage taking on the blocker, as he short arms too much, especially when he should extend them to shed … Also needs to use his hands with more authority while trying to reroute the receiver … More of a reach and grab tackler and despite his lofty totals, he has a penchant for ducking his head before making the hit (sometimes loses sight of the ball carrier that way) … Lacks the fluid hip turn to get good depth in his pass drops and struggles to man up with the receiver, making this an area of concern for a possible move to safety at the next level … Must show better body control in his backpedal … Late to react to the thrown ball, but shows urgency to close once he locates it … Lacks route awareness and can be taken out of his cleats by the receiver's double moves … Best when he has a clear lane to the quarterback, as he struggles to adjust and flatten when closing on the pocket.

Compares To: FREDDIE KEIAHO-Indianapolis … Like Keiaho, Dizon's size and bulk issues limit him to Cover-2 type of alignments. Some teams are looking to possibly move him to safety, but I doubt if his pass coverage skills or lack of awareness playing deep in the zone is going to benefit him with that move. To play inside at the NFL level, he will need to bulk up, but his frame is very close to maximum growth potential. His marginal strength is another problem for playing middle linebacker. He is best served outside on the weak side. For all of his physical limitations, 463 tackles indicate he knows how to get to the ball.

2006: Bothered in early October by a shoulder sprain, but did not miss any game action.

Campus: 4.63 in the 40-yard dash … 1.58 10-yard dash … 2.63 20-yard dash … 4.51 20-yard shuttle … 6.78 three-cone drill … 34 ½-inch vertical jump … 300-pound bench press … Bench pressed 225 pounds 12 times … 586-pound squat … 352-pound power clean … 12.2 percent body fat … 31 ¼-inch arm length … 8 ½-inch hands … Left-handed … 21/38 Wonderlic score.

Combine: 4.71 in the 40-yard dash … 1.62 10-yard dash … 2.7 20-yard dash … 4.35 20-yard shuttle … 7.01 three-cone drill … 30 ½-inch vertical jump … 9'10" broad jump.

Attended Waimea (Kauai, Hawaii) High School, playing football for head coach John Kubayashi as a junior and senior and for Liko Pereira as a freshman and sophomore … Earned Prep Football Report and Prep Star All-West honors, earning second-team All-State and Kauai Interscholastic Federation (KIF) All-Star accolades … PFR ranked him as the 65th-best player in the region and the third ranked running back, calling him "potentially the top fullback on the west coast," and Rivals.com ranked him as the eighth-best running back prospect nationally … Was injured most of the regular season his senior year, rushing once for a 12 yard touchdown run but catching nine passes for 250 yards and three scores in just over two games … As a junior, he rushed 150 times for 1,157 yards and 13 touchdowns, and caught 15 passes for 175 yards … Started at linebacker on defense and was in on 75 tackles … Also handled some of the punting chores … Lettered four times in basketball (forward), where he was a three-time Player of the Year/Island (KIF), as well as a three-time honorable mention All-State performer … Also lettered three times in track (sprints, the 100-meter KIF champion as a junior), and once in soccer … Honor roll member every quarter in high school, with his grade point average always at 3.5 or higher.

Economics major, earning Academic All-Big 12 Conference second-team honors as a junior … His high school, Waimea, is the western-most high school in the United States, on the island of Kauai, the furthest west of the populated islands in the Hawaiian chain … Last name is pronounced dye-zonn … Born 1/16/86 in Kauai, Hawaii.