#98 Greg Billinger Season 2008-09

2009
Billinger started 11 of 12 games in his fourth and final season as a Commodore… Earned every start at defensive tackle opposite Adam Smotherman… Finished the year with single-season career high with 21 solo tackles… Ended season with 38 total tackles… Topped Commodores with 3.5 quarterback sacks… Added 5.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble… Set single-game career highs in solo tackles (4) at Florida and total tackles (6) against both Ole Miss and Georgia Tech… Notched 1.5 quarterback sacks in victory over Rice… First career forced fumble came against Georgia Tech… Added sacks against Georgia and South Carolina.Finished career with 24 career starts in 48 appearances.

2008
Counted on heavily in the preseason due to graduation losses of both starting DTs from 2007, Billinger came through with the best year of his Commodore career… Served as a solid run-stopper in the middle of Vanderbilt defense, starting every game at tackle… Played more snaps than any other DT on squad… Finished the year with career bests in virtually every statistical category, including total tackles (57), solo tackles (17), tackles for loss (6.5), quarterback sacks (2) and fumble recoveries (1)… Among linemen, shared team high in total tackles with DE Steven Stone… Contributed multiple tackles in 10 of 12 games… One of top efforts came in Music City Bowl victory over Boston College, posting career-high seven tackles… Played outstanding in victory over ranked South Carolina, earning a share of team[apos]s Defensive Player of the Week honors with six-total tackle performance… The effort was highlighted by a pair of QB sacks, including one late in the game that virtually sealed the victory, and a blocked Gamecock field goal in the second half… Also shared top defensive honors against Duke… Played through pain for much of latter stages of season.

2007
Played in 10 games, missing Alabama and Miami (Ohio) contests to injury… Served key role as reserve behind senior defensive tackles Theo Horrocks and Gabe Hall… Contributed two tackles in narrow loss to Georgia and added a tackle and interception in victory over Eastern Michigan… Shared in tackle for loss vs. Kentucky.

2006
Developed into key reserve defensive tackle, becoming the only true freshman to see action on either of Vanderbilt[apos]s interior lines… Ended season with six total tackles… Saw action in every game… Contributed two tackles in first career appearance at Michigan.

High School
Team captain… Started three years for one of Georgia[apos]s most powerful prep programs… Started at OT and DE as junior and senior… Parkview went 11-2 this season, advancing to third round of state AAAAA playoffs… Named to ‘Super Southern’ team by Atlanta Journal-Constitution… Missed the second half of final season from injuries suffered in a family car accident near Nashville… As junior, posted 60 tackles as DE… Also plays forward in basketball… Earned Coaches[apos] Award as state discus qualifier in track & field… A four-year honor roll student… Participated in Gwinnett Student Leadership Conference.

Personal
Gregory Billinger II… ‘Tank’… Son of Greg and Lora Billinger… Has a younger sister, Morgan… Dad is graphic artist; mom is paralegal… Billinger is expected to finish his work in May 2010 on a Communication Studies undergraduate degree from the College of Arts and Science… Interned with law firm… Volunteers with various community service projects… Enjoys going to movies, hanging out with friends, and cooking.

Parkview Coach Cecil Flowe
‘Greg is an outstanding football player, a three-year starter for our program. His production this season was limited after a serious car accident.

‘Greg knows what it takes to succeed and has good understanding of the game. He has very good quickness and does real well getting proper leverage. He can become a very good player.’