In 2005, he lost his scholarship because of poor grades and off-the-field problems, which forced him to drop out of school. He returned in 2006 after a year out of football, under the condition that he would pay all of his college expenses, so he took out a loan with the help of an aunt and lived during a semester in an abandoned locker room on the campus, until he was able to gain back his scholarship. Although he was used mostly for blocking purposes in the offense as a senior, he received team MVP honors and was recognized as one of the best special teams players in the nation. He led his team in special teams tackles in each of his four years and only missed one game.