Slippery Rock University Athletics

Personal: Son of Mary Kay and Mike Zappone ... majoring in communications.

2016: Started all 11 games … A second team All-PSAC West honoree … Named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week on one occasion … Led Slippery Rock with 88 total tackles and five interceptions … Also recorded 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks … Forced one fumble … 44 solo tackles were also a team-best … Ranked third in the PSAC in interceptions … Recorded 10 or more tackles in a game four times … Began Rock career with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one interception in win against New Haven … Built on strong week one with 12 tackles and one sack in week two at West Chester … Registered 12 tackles, one sack and one interception against Gannon … Produced interceptions in each of SRU’s last three games against Clarion, Seton Hill and East Stroudsburg … Also had 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack against East Stroudsburg … Game-By-Game Statistics

Before The Rock: Played three seasons at Eastern Michigan University at the Division I level ... appeared in 30 games over three years ... recorded 148 total tackles, including 66 solo and 82 assisted ... addded 12.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks ... caused and recovered two fumbles ... best season came in 2014 when he appeared in 11 games, recording 90 tackles and 9.0 tackles for loss ... was on pace to match those numbers before an injury in junior season ... recorded 50 tackles in just seven games as a junior ... transferred to Slippery Rock prior to redshirt senior season.

High School: Lettered three years in football and baseball at Westlake High School in Westlake, Ohio ... Started for three years on the football team ... Ranked as the 57th best inside linebacker nationally by Rivals ... Was named first team All-Conference in each of his three seasons as a varsity player ... Named to the All-Northeastern Ohio team following his junior and senior campaigns ... Elected to the Next Level All-Cleveland team ... Selected a National Underclassmen Combine MVP ... Recorded 96 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles as a senior ... Led the team in tackles as a junior, recording 76 tackles, including 10 for a loss, and three sacks for the Demons ... also was a member of championship baseball team at Westlake.
 

Career Highs
Total Tackles	12 three times (most recently vs. East Stroudsburg 11/12/16)
Solo Tackles	7 vs. East Stroudsburg (11/12/16)
Assisted Tackles	8 vs. Gannon (9/24/16)
Tackles for Loss	2 twice (most recently vs. East Stroudsburg 11/12/16)
Pass Break Ups	1 (three times) (most recently at Clarion (10/29/16)
Sacks	1.5 vs. New Haven (9/3/16)
Interceptions	1 five times (most recently vs. East Stroudsburg 11/12/16)
Forced Fumbles	1 at Clarion (10/29/16)