TRANSACTIONS: Selected by St. Louis in the first round (second overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft (4/26/08).

2008 SEASON: Started every game in rookie campaign…led the team with 16 quarterback pressures…4.0 sacks tied for second among NFC rookies…Week 2 vs. New York Giants (9/14): Made four tackles (three solo) and first career sack for an 11-yard loss…Week 3 at Seattle (9/21): Led defensive linemen with eight tackles (six solo)…Week 4 vs. Buffalo (9/28): Made seven tackles (two solo) tying for the lead in tackles among defensive linemen and had 1.0 sack…Week 8 at New England (10/26): Made five tackles (three solo) with a career-high 2.0 sacks for a 15-yard loss.

His 21.0 career sacks tied for seventh on Virginia’s all-time list (Sean Scott, 1984-87)…voted team captain as a junior and senior…as a senior, tied for third in the nation with 14.0 sacks, starting 13 games at right defensive tackle…ranked 14th in the nation with 19 tackles for loss and made 23 quarterback pressures…made one interception, forced two fumbles and had nine passes defensed…unanimous All-America and All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team selection…named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and recipient of the Ted Hendricks Award, given to the nation’s top defensive end…Dudley Award winner as the top collegiate player in the state of Virginia…finalist for the Vince Lombardi Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Ronnie Lott Trophy…had jersey retired prior to final home game…tied a career high with 10 tackles (four solo) against Maryland to earn ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors…added 2.0 sacks, one for a safety, and one pass defensed…received Ned McDonald Award as team’s top defensive player, the Colonel F.C. McCue Award as the team’s most outstanding interior lineman and the Joe Palumbo Award honoring the player for self-sacrifice, dedication and enthusiasm as a junior…majored in sociology.

Born Christopher Howard Long in Santa Monica, Calif…attended St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Va…named 2003 Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia and rated as the second-best player in the state by the Charlottesville Daily Progress…three-time first-team All-State selection on both offense and defense…selected conference Defensive Player of the Year his final two seasons and was selected Student Sports Junior All-American in 2002…registered 91 tackles (44 solo) and 15.0 sacks as a senior to help his team to an undefeated season and a state championship...also recorded 72 pancake blocks on offense…also played basketball, lacrosse and baseball…won the 2003 YMCA Slam Dunk Contest for high school students…father, Howie Long, played in the NFL for 13 seasons and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame following seven Pro Bowl appearances and two Defensive Player of the Year awards…brother, Howie, Jr., has committed to play lacrosse at the University of Virginia…related to Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel (1926).