The 2011 Scouting Report: Leader of NU's linebacking corps ... Enjoyed his healthiest season in 2010 and the result was his most productive campaign yet ... Returns as NU's starting outside (Will) linebacker ... Early part of career was slowed by injuries ... Talented player who provides some solid linebacker depth ... Also a productive special teams player.
2011: Played in 35 career games ... Selected to play in the 2012 NFLPA All-Star game in Carson, Calif. ... Team's fourth-leading tackler with 76 hits ... Sat out the Indiana game with an injury ... Finished the Boston College game with six tackles (four solos), including a 1-yard TFL against the Eagles ... Led NU with seven tackles (four solos) and his first career interception (9-yard return) against Eastern Illinois ... Earned NU's defensive player of the week honor for his effort vs. the Panthers ... Credited with a career-best 15 tackles at Army--six of those solo hits ... Totaled three tackles at Illinois ... Registered 10 tackles (six solos) vs. Michigan ... Had four tackles at Iowa ... Two tackles, including a 0.5 TFL, against Penn State ... One tackle at Nebraska ... Notched two tackles and a pass breakup vs. Rice ... Credited with 11 tackles (five solos) vs. Minnesota ... Totaled seven tackles, including a 3-yard TFL, against Michigan State ... Rang up eight tackles, which included 2 TFL's (0.5 pass sack), against Texas A&M in the bowl game ... Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
2010: Started nine of 11 games played at outside linebacker ... Academic All-Big Ten ... Ranked 36th in the Big Ten in tackles (5.6 pg) ... Assisted on one tackle in TicketCity Bowl, where he was limited due to injury ... Two tackles and a QB hurry at Wisconsin before being forced out of the game with an injury ... Five tackles against Illinois ... Six stops against Iowa ... Recorded six tackles at Penn State ... Set a career high and led NU with 13 tackles at Indiana, including a personal-best 2.0 TFL's ... Led NU's defense against Michigan State with 10 tackles, one sack and his first career forced fumble ... Four stops vs. Purdue ... Recorded eight tackles, including one TFL, against his hometown team, Minnesota ... Missed NU's games at Vanderbilt and vs. Illinois State due to injury ... Returned at Rice to make his first career start and record four tackles and one TFL ... Three stops against Central Michigan ... Named NU's Defensive Player of the Week vs. Michigan State and Indiana.
2009: Played in seven games with one start ... Two tackles vs. Minnesota and one stop in season-opener against Towson ... Suffered a leg injury late in the game against Minnesota and missed six games before returning at Illinois, where he posted two tackles ... Also started and notched one tackle vs. Wisconsin ... The Wisconsin start was the first of his career ... Named team's defensive practice player of the week vs. Illinois ... Academic All-Big Ten.
2008: Missed the first seven games due to injury ... Recorded his first career tackle against Ohio State ... Picked up one stop vs. Illinois ... Academic All-Big Ten.
2007: Did not see action ... Named team's defensive practice player of the week vs. Indiana.
High School: Velocity/PrepStar All-American ... Rivals.com All-Region and SuperPrep All-Midwest linebacker ... Ranked fifth among all players in SuperPrep Minnesota player ranking and 10th among all players (third among linebackers) in Rivals.com Minnesota player ranking ... Ranked 17th nationally among inside linebackers (first in Minnesota) by Tom Lemming ... Ranked 37th-best inside linebacker nationally by Rivals.com, 28th-best inside linebacker nationally by ESPN/Scouts, Inc., and 32nd-best middle linebacker nationally by SuperPrep ... Earned first-team all-state honors from the Associated Press, Minneapolis Star-Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press ... Helped lead the Eagles to the 2006 Prep Bowl (Minnesota state championship game) for Class 5, the largest division in the state ... Eden Prairie won the state championship, finished 14-0 and was ranked 20th nationally by one poll ... Named MVP of the 2006 Prep Bowl and the WCCO Radio Player of the Game ... In his three years as a starter, the Eagles went 36-3 ... Eden Prairie reached the state semifinals his junior year ... Recorded 65 solo tackles in 2006, which included 20 TFL's and 8 sacks ... Also had five interceptions, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery ... Exploded on the national scene his junior year with 143 total tackles, 26 TFL's, 7 sacks and 3 interceptions ... Invited to play in 2006-07 Minnesota Senior Bowl ... 2006 U.S. Army All-American All-Combine Team ... 2006 recipient of Eden Prairie's Robert Moran Award for best exemplifying sportsmanship, athleticism and clean living ... Coached by Mike Grant, son of former Minnesota Viking Head Coach Bud Grant.
Personal: Born Bryce Edwin McNaul ... Son of Eric and Debra McNaul ... Brother, Austin, plays rugby for top-ranked Army at West Point ... Father, Eric, played football for Gerry Faust at Cincinnati Moeller when they won a national championship in 1977 ... Grandfather, Daniel Drotar, was a two-time all-state football player and wrestler in California ... Graduated with a degree in economics and is now pursuing a master's degree in liberal arts.
The McNaul File
Q: Name a favorite song (and artist) on your I-Pod:
A: Born to Be Alive -- Patrick Hernandez
Q: If you could dine with anyone from any period in history, who would it be?
A: My Dad
Q: What is the greatest lesson in life that you have learned?
A: Live in the moment
Q: A song that best describes you?
A: Born to Be Alive -- Patrick Hernandez
Q: Something people would be surprised to know about me is:
A: I love the Food Network
Q: My favorite place to visit is:
A: Home Sweet Home
Q: Which current NU football player is the biggest jokester on the team?
A: Josh "Big Joker" Rooks
Q: My favorite thing about NU is:
A: My teammates
Q: Best part about being a Northwestern football player is:
A: Learning about yourself
Q: Describe Coach Fitzgerald in five words or less:
A: Winner
Q: Describe your position coach in five words or less:
A: Father, teacher, coach, friend
Q: Most humbling experience:
A: My first few weeks here
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
A: My awesome family
Q: The best book I have ever read is:
A: Peace is Every Step
Q: The person that inspires me the most is:
A: My brothers
Q: When I played football as a kid, I pretended to be:
A: Whoever my dad or grandpa liked
Q: My favorite pregame ritual is:
A: Sleeping in
Q: If you could have a starring role in any film already made, which movie would you pick?
A: Over the Top
Q: My favorite food is:
A: Pistachio ice cream
Q: Best thing about Northwestern is:
A: The culture of people here
Q: My ultimate SportsCenter highlight would be:
A: Winning a house for a kid in the Home-Run Derby
Q: My favorite television show is:
A: Iron Chef
Q: If I were not playing football, I would be:
A: Playing rugby or going up North
Q: The three words that best describe me:
A: Family, happy, proud
Q: My football-related superstition is:
A: Putting on equipment in a specific order
| DEFENSE | |||||||||||
| Season | Games | UA | A | Total | TFL | Sacks | PD | INT | FF | FR | BLK |
| 2008 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.0-0 | 0.0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.0-0 | 0.0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 11 | 32 | 30 | 62 | 5.0-20 | 1.0-10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 23 | 34 | 36 | 70 | 5.0-20 | 1.0-10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |