The 2011 Scouting Report: Poised for a stellar senior season ... Has solidified himself as a key starter among NU's defensive front ... Starting defensive tackle next to Vince Browne ... Hard-working player ... Added some considerable size and strength since joining program in 2007 ... Over the past three seasons, has taken a big step forward from an execution and consistency standpoint ... Will be counted on to be one of team's defensive leaders.
2011:Started final 10 games (after missing Eastern Illinois and Army games with a leg injury) ... Notched six tackles, including an 8-yard pass sack, at Illinois ... Totaled two tackles (solos)--both TFL's--vs. the Eagles ... One of his TFL's was a 5-yard pass sack ... Notched one tackle and a blocked field goal vs. Michigan (he was the last player to block a field goal, having done so vs. Central Michigan in 2010) ... Had two tackles and a pass breakup at Iowa ... Registered four tackles (one of them a TFL) vs. Penn State ... Totaled four tackles, which included a 2-yard pass sack, at Indiana ... Named team's defensive big playmaker of the week vs. the Hoosiers ... Credited with one TFL at Nebraska ... Notched five tackles (one of them a TFL) and a pass breakup vs. Rice ... Totaled four tackles vs. Minnesota ... Registered three solo tackles vs. Michigan State ... In bowl game vs. Texas A&M, registered two tackles and two QB hurries ... Totaled 14 career TFL's ... One of 10 NU seniors who was enrolled in graduate school.
2010: Started 12 of 13 games played at defensive tackle ... 33 tackles with 7.0 TFL's ... Closed season with three tackles and an assisted TFL in TicketCity Bowl ... Four stops at Wisconsin ... Set career highs with eight tackles and 2.5 TFL's against Illinois ... One TFL vs. Iowa ... Assisted on three tackles at Penn State ... One stop at Indiana ... Two tackles and one QB hurry vs. Michigan State ... One tackle at Minnesota ... Recorded two blocked kicks vs. Central Michigan, becoming the first Wildcat since 2007 to block a PAT and later getting his hand on a CMU field goal attempt ... Named team's Co-Defensive Big Playmaker against the Chippewas ... Totaled three stops, including a career-best 2.0 TFL's, and recorded his first career fumble recovery at Rice ... Two tackles vs. Illinois State ... Five tackles at Vanderbilt, including one TFL, and a QB hurry ... Named team's Defensive Player of the Game against the Commodores.
2009: Slowed a bit during the year with a knee injury he suffered in preseason camp ... Appeared in eight games and totaled three tackles ... Totaled two assisted tackles at Illinois.
2008: Played in eight games as a reserve tackle ... Posted first career tackles against Purdue and Illinois ... Notched one tackle in 2008 Alamo Bowl vs. Missouri.
2007: Did not see action.
High School: Rivals.com All-Region, SuperPrep All-Midwest and Velocity/PrepStar All-Region defensive lineman ... Ranked 23rd among all players in SuperPrep Illinois player ranking and 27th among all players (fourth among defensive ends) in Rivals.com Illinois player ranking ... Ranked 38th-best defensive end nationally by ESPN/Scouts, Inc. ... IHSA Football Coaches and Champaign News-Gazette first-team all-state selection ... Two-time (2005-06) Daily Herald All-Area and All-West Suburban Conference selection ... 2006 West Suburban Conference Defensive Player of the Year ... Red Devils' team MVP ... Two-time Prep Football Report All-Area team (2005-06) ... Suburban Life All-Area selection ... Selected to play in 2007 Illinois Shrine All-Star game ... Played a key role in the Red Devils' record-setting defense that set a school mark for sacks -- he contributed with 12 ... Totaled 88 tackles, 12 sacks and 23 total TFL's his senior year ... Notched 65 tackles, 8 sacks and 14 TFL's as a junior ... As a three-year letterwinner, Hinsdale Central compiled a 26-10 cumulative record and reached the Class 8A state playoffs all three years ... Red Devils reached the semifinal round his junior year ... HC went 11-1 and won WSC title in 2004 ... Also lettered two years in baseball ... School's Honor Roll recipient ... Coached by Tony Lombardi (2003-05) and Mike DiMatteo (2006).
Personal: Born Jack J. DiNardo ... Son of Larry and Paula DiNardo ... Played against fellow 2007 signees Michael Bolden (Evanston) and Kevin Watt (Glenbard West) ... His father, Larry, was a two-time All-American at Notre Dame (1969-70) and his uncle, Gerry DiNardo, was an All-American at Notre Dame (1974), as well as the former head football coach at Vanderbilt, LSU and Indiana ... His uncle, John Voorhees, was Northwestern's 1971 football team MVP ... Graduated with a degree in political science and is now pursuing a master's degree in liberal arts.
| DEFENSE | |||||||||||
| Season | Games | UA | A | Total | TFL | Sacks | PD | INT | FF | FR | BLK |
| 2008 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.0-0 | 0.0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.0-0 | 0.0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 13 | 20 | 13 | 33 | 7.0-19 | 0.5-4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2011 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 34 | 6.5-25 | 3.0-15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 40 | 37 | 36 | 73 | 13.5-44 | 3.5-19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |