Andrew Sendejo Class: Senior Hometown: Canyon Lake High School: Smithson Valley Height / Weight: 6-1 / 210 Position: DB Experience: 3L

Rice -- Three-year starter who heads into spring as one of the leaders of the Owls defense.

Career Statistics

2008: Honorable mention All C-USA pick by the coaches, second team pick by the Houston Chronicle, while Phil Steele placed him on his first-team, all-conference unit... Led the Owls with 94 tackles despite missing nearly three full games with a high ankle sprain... Fifth in C-USA stats with 8.55 tackles per game (51st nationally).... 22nd in NCAA stats with 5.4 solo tackles per game... Owls' active leader in tackles with 254 and needs 24 to move into the Owls' career top ten... Leads the team with eight career interceptions, all in his last 21 games, including two for scores... eight intercpeptions ranks him in a five-way tie for ninth on the Owls' career list... Closed out the regular season by recording his fifth double-figure tackle game of the year with 13 vs. Houston....it was his ninth career double-figure tackle game... Opened the year by earning C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors for his game vs. SMU... Totaled 89 yards in returns, bringing back an interception 55 yards for a touchdown and returning a fumble 34 yards to set up a second score... Interception return was his second of his career for a score, with both coming against SMU... ... Had back-to-back 13 tackle efforts at Memphis and Vanderbilt, then was credited with a season-high 17 tackles at Texas, one shy of his career-high of 18 set last year at Marshall... Saw his streak of double-figure tackle games end at three when he was credited for three stops against North Texas... set up the Owls seventh score of the first half when he recovered a muffed punt... Made his debut as the Owls' punt returner against North Texas, fielded a pair for no gain, then returned his third for a gain of 21... Injured early in the Tulsa game and did not record a tackle... Missed the Southern Miss game, breaking a streak of 24 consecutive games played (23 starts)... Also missed the Tulane game... Returned to action against UTEP and led the Owls with eight tackles... Has been responsible for 17 of the Owls 58 turnovers since the start of 2007 (eight interceptions, four forced fumbles, four fumble recovery, one pass deflection that was intercepted)... Leads active Rice defenders with 12 career points... Has 201 tackles over the last two years to lead the team... Two-time ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA District VI academic honoree with a 3.59 GPA in Sports Management.

2007: Led the team with 107 tackles and five interceptions... His five interceptions were the most by an Owl since Dan Dawson tied the school record with seven in 2000 and match the third-best total by an Owl in a season... Earned honorable mention all C-USA honors by the coaches and third-team all conference mention by Phil Steele... Also named Academic All-Conference and All-District VI for his work in the classroom... Closed the season strongly, registering back-to-back double figure tackle efforts against Tulane (11) and Tulsa (13).... Posted four double figure games on the season, including a career-best 18-tackle day at Marshall, the most by an Owl since Jeff Vanover was credited with 18 against SMU in 2001... C-USA Defensive Player of the Week against Southern Miss after picking off a pair of passes, forcing a fumble, and registering seven tackles... became the first Owl to pick off more than one pass in a game since Dan Dawson picked off three vs. Hawaii in 2000... credited with eight tackles, shared a tackle for loss, force and recovered a fumble and broke up a pass at Houston... Returned his interception against SMU 31 yards for a touchdown for his first careeer touchdown.

2006: A starter from the first whistle of the season who went on to earn honorable mention freshman all-America recognition from The Sporting News and C-USA all-freshman honors from the media... Finished fifth on the team with 49 total tackles from the Spur position... Tied for fourth on the squad with seven tackles for loss... Second on the team by forcing three fumbles... Made 10 starts on the season and played in 11 games... Missed the UAB game with an injury... Credited with a season-high two tackles for loss against SMU... Forced one fumble and recovered a second to set up a touchdown for the Owls against Tulsa... Opened the season with a 13-yard sack of Kevin Kolb of Houston and closed it with a seven-yard sack of Justin Willis of SMU.

High School -- 2006 graduate of Smithson Valley High in Spring Branch, northeast of San Antonio... Two-time all-San Antonio area selection for coach Larry Hill... Helped the Rangers to a 13-2 record and the Class 5A semifinals as a senior... Comal County defensive player of the year... Twice an honorable mention all-state pick, and a two-time all-District 26-5A honoree... Had 75 tackles, including three for losses, four interceptions, eight pass deflections, one force and one fumble recovery as a senior... Also lettered in soccer and track for the Rangers... Twice a second-team all-district selection and academic all-district pick in soccer, helping Smithson Valley to the district and bi-district championships... Regional finalist and academic all-district in track... Carried a 95.0 grade verage... Selected Rice over Tulane, Army, North Texas, Northwestern and New Mexico.

Personal -- Full Name: Andrew Victor Sendejo (sin-DAY-ho)... Born: Sept. 9, 1987, at San Antonio... Parents: Gary Sendejo, San Antonio, and Brenda Sendejo, Canyon Lake (one sister)... Rice major: Sport Management.

Wiess College