John Pius

HISTORY — from college profile

JUNIOR YEAR (2023)
Only FCS player on the Butkus Award Watch List … Senior Bowl Watch List … All-America First Team selection by FCS Football Central and Phil Steele … All-America Second Team honoree by Stats Perform … All-CAA First Team … Ranked sixth nationally in sacks per game (0.86) … Led the CAA and ranked 10th nationally in TFL per game (1.5) … Also ranked third in the CAA in sacks (9.5) and TFL (16.0) … TFL total ranks third on W&M’s single-season list, while the sacks total ranks tied for eighth … Also finished the season with 53 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery … Totaled eight tackles, 2 sacks, 2.5 TFL, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery that he returned 57 yards to help set up a touchdown … Posted six tackles, 2 sacks and 3.5 TFL in the win against Wofford … Recorded six tackles, 3.0 TFL and a sack in the victory at Hampton … Registered six tackles, 2.5 TFL and a sack in the win at Charleston Southern … Tallied seven tackles and a sack versus Towson … Also posted sacks in games at No. 23 UAlbany and Elon … Shrine Bowl 1000 selection … Buck Buchanan Award Watch List … Unanimous preseason All-America First Team selection by Stats Perform, Athlon, HERO Sports, Phil Steele and The Bluebloods … CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year … Earned CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll accolades

SOPHOMORE YEAR (2022)
Finished second in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the national defensive player of the year in the FCS … All-America First Team selection by the Associated Press, the AFCA, Stats Perform, Athlon, Walter Camp and Phil Steele Magazine … Named to the All-America Sophomore Team by HERO Sports … CAA Defensive Player of the Year … All-CAA First Team … Finalist for the Dudley Award, which honors the best player in Virginia … VaSID Player of the Year … VaSID All-State First Team … Two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Week … Ranked fourth nationally in sacks (11.5) and fifth in TFL (19.0) … His sack total was just a half sack shy of equaling the single-season school record … Started all 13 games … Registered nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, 4.5 TFL and a PBU in the season-opening victory at Charlotte … Totaled eight tackles, 3.5 sacks and 4.0 TFL in the win at Lafayette … Posted eight tackles and 2.0 sacks in the victory against Campbell … Recorded six tackles and 2.0 sacks in the triumph versus No. 6 Delaware … Tallied 10 tackles, a sack and 2.0 TFL in the win at No. 11 Richmond … Recorded a sack in the win at Towson … Posted a half sack and two PBU in the victory at Stony Brook …

REDSHIRT FRESHMAN YEAR (2021)
Appeared in all 11 games and earned 10 starts … Finished the season with 39 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3.5 TFL and a fumble recovery … Recorded seven tackles with two sacks in the win against Lafayette … Posted seven tackles with a half sack versus Richmond … Totaled six tackles with a  fumble recovery in the triumph against UAlbany … Tallied six stops at Maine … Earned his first career start at Virginia and registered four tackles with 0.5 TFL … 

FRESHMAN YEAR (2021 – Spring)
Reserve linebacker who saw action in all three games … Finished the season with seven tackles, 2.0 TFL and a sack … Recorded five tackles and a TFL versus No. 1 James Madison … Posted a sack in the win against Elon …

HIGH SCHOOL
Earned two letters as a defensive end and outside linebacker for head coach Bruce Hanson at Yorktown High School … Posted 23.0 sacks and 40.0 TFL during his two seasons as a varsity player … Honored as the 6A Northern Regional Defensive Player of the Year and earned second-team all-state honors as a senior … Also chosen as the 2019 Liberty District Conference Defensive Player of the Year … Honorable mention All-Met selection in 2019 … Earned first-team all-conference accolades twice … First player in school history to play both defensive end and cornerback in a game …

PERSONAL
Son of Pius and Juliana Obibine.