Aaron Thompson Class: RS Senior Hometown: Baltimore, Md. High School: Mount St. Joseph Height / Weight: 6-1 / 231 Position: Linebacker Birthdate: 05/04/1978 Experience: 3V Honors: All-ACC Candidate

On Thompson: Honors candidate who begins his fourth season having started all 33 games of his career at outside linebacker … helps anchor a veteran linebacking corps … listed No. 1 on the depth chart at the strongside linebacker spot … versatile performer who excels against the run, yet can cover a back or drop into zone with success as well as rush the passer … strong and athletic tackler who should challenge the Maryland career record for tackles for loss … 35 career tackles for loss, 11 career sacks … has averaged 8.4 stops per game during his career … 279 career tackles … Maryland's second-leading tackler as a freshman and sophomore, No. 5 as a junior … needs just 54 total tackles to move into Maryland’s career top 10 list.

2000 (Junior): Started all 11 games at outside linebacker for the third consecutive season … finished fifth on the squad in total tackles, registering 81 stops … second on the team with a career-best 6.5 quarterback sacks … fourth on the team in tackles for loss (9 for 62 yards) … seven quarterback hurries ranked fourth on the squad … shared team lead with three forced fumbles … also recovered a fumble … recorded a season-high 17 total tackles (13 solos) in an overtime win over NC State … also reached double figures in tackles vs. Virginia (11) and Temple (10) … had a career-best three sacks (for minus 27 yards) vs. Duke and a pair of sacks (for minus 14 yards) vs. Florida State … served as a team co-captain.

1999 (Sophomore): An All-ACC selection by the Football News, finishing second on the team with 111 tackles, 10.1 per game … 11-game starter with a team-high 72 solo stops … seventh in ACC in tackles … led Terps and was fourth in the ACC with 17 TFL (-63 yards) … also had 3.5 sacks (-18) and three pass deflections … 17 tackles for loss were the best at Maryland since Charles Johnson posted 18 in 1978 … season highs of 11 solos and 15 total tackles in season-opener at Temple … leading Terp tackler vs. Temple and West Virginia.

1998 (Redshirt Freshman): An 11-game starter as Maryland's outside linebacker, or bandit position … prominent on the defensive stat sheet as just a freshman, contributing 87 tackles, fourth-best on the team … 52 solos, 35 assists … averaged 7.9 tackles per game … led Terps with nine tackles for loss and 29 yards … his one sack came in season opener against James Madison … forced fumbles in back-to-back games against JMU and Virginia.

1997 (Freshman): Redshirt season.

High School: A 1997 graduate of Mount St. Joseph High School ... was named the Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year as a senior, when he rushed for 2,325 yards and 37 touchdowns ... finished his career as one of the all-time leading rushers in the state ... also played linebacker in special situations, totaling 19 tackles, two sacks and one interception ... high school coach was Mike Working.

Personal: Aaron G. Thompson was born May 4, 1978 ... son of Edith Green and Aaron Thompson ... majoring in criminology and criminal justice … member of Maryland's student-athlete advisory council.

Defense	    G-GS  UT    AT    TT	 TFL    Sacks   Int
1998	   11-11  52	35    87/7.9     9-29    1.0-11   0-0
1999	   11-11  72	39    111/10.1   17-63   3.5-18   0-0
2000	   11-11  54	27    81/7.4     9-62    6.5-55   0-0
Totals	   33-33  178   101   279/8.4    35-154  11-84    0-0