Jason Long Hometown: Tupelo, Miss High School: Tupelo HS Height / Weight: 5-10 / 200 Position: Linebacker Birthdate: 06/01/1978 Experience: 3L

Probably the most versatile player at the linebacker position...will start at strongside linebacker, but is capable of starting at all three positions...has a natural instinct in defending the run as well as the pass as his five pass breakups in 1999 attest...an strong student in the classroom, he will contend for Academic All-America honors.

1999 (Junior): Recorded 39 tackles on the season, with six tackles for loss...played in all 11 games while earning starts in the first four contests for an injured Marquince Wilder...tallied a career-high eight stops in games against Chattanooga and Austin Peay...added seven stops against Elon and six versus Jacksonville State...his only interception of the season set up a touchdown in Samford's victory over JSU...had a key third-down sack in the first half against Eastern Kentucky that kept the Colonels out of the end zone...

1998 (Sophomore): Played in all 11 games for the Bulldogs, with four starts, finishing sixth on the team with 41 tackles...had six tackles against Troy State and Morgan State...had five stops in games against Jacksonville State, Mars Hill and Elon...added one tackle for loss against Mars Hill and Morgan State.

1997 (Redshirt Freshman): Best remembered for his interception against Troy State which killed the Trojans' final drive and set up the Bulldogs' final touchdown in a 25-14 victory...finished the year with 23 tackles...had six tackles against Tennessee Tech and four against Nicholls State.

High School: Recorded 110 tackles and three interceptions, while leading Tupelo to a 10-3 record and a spot in the North Mississippi Championship game...named MVP of the district and named to the All-District team...he was also voted to the All-Lee County team.

Personal: Born June 1, 1978...the son of J.B. and Zell Long...honored with the Dr. John Lawrence Lemak Scholastic Award and currently serves as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee...is also a member of Order of Omega, a Greek honor society...his father played football at Mississippi Valley State and his brother, Juan, played football at Mississippi State and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants of the NFL...majoring in biology.