Former Boise State sack master joins elite club with Dallas Cowboys

In what was otherwise a miserable game for the Dallas Cowboys — a 28-14 home loss to the Tennessee Titans on Monday night — defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence quietly reached a career milestone.

Lawrence’s strip sack of quarterback Marcus Mariota on the Titans’ opening drive was the 30th sack of his career, making him only the ninth player in franchise history to reach that total. DeMarcus Ware tops the list with 117 career sacks, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.

During his two seasons at Boise State (2012-13), Lawrence racked up 20 sacks, which ties for the seventh-most in program history.

Lawrence’s sack against the Titans was his first since recording three against the Detroit Lions in Week 4. His 6.5 sacks this season is tied for 13th in the NFL; last year Lawrence finished in a tie for second in the NFL with 14.5 sacks.

Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter is the current sacks leader with 11.5, but Lawrence says he isn’t comparing himself to the competition.

“Why should I keep up with them, they’re already paid,” Lawrence recently told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I’m still trying to get paid. I can’t sit here looking like, ‘Dang, man, they’re making plays.’ I’ve got to make my own plays, so I’m not worried about any of that.”

Paradis fractures fibula

Council High graduate Matt Paradis made 57 consecutive starts at center for the Denver Broncos dating back to the 2015 season.

But he won’t make it to 58 after fracturing his right fibula near the end of the first half of a 19-17 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.

“It’s a huge loss, obviously, losing one of our captains and a guy who’s played a lot of football for us,” Denver coach Vance Joseph told DenverBroncos.com.

Paradis entered Sunday’s game having played 3,850 straight snaps, which was the second-longest active streak in the NFL.

“He’s as solid as they come,” Denver quarterback Case Keenum said. “He’s awesome to play with. I don’t ever like comparing guys, but, man, he’s incredible, top-notch, first-class. It’s a tough deal. I’m hurting for him.”

Paradis was a sixth-round pick by the Broncos out of Boise State in the 2014 NFL Draft. He spent the 2014 season on the Broncos’ practice squad before earning a starting role in 2015, the year Denver won Super Bowl 50.

This story was originally published November 6, 2018 at 5:00 PM.