Liuget (6-2, 300) is a second-year defensive end. The Chargers selected him first round with the 18th overall pick in the 2011 draft.
Corey Liuget had to grow up in a hurry as a San Diego Chargers rookie and the team’s first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He was drafted in April and handed a playbook shortly thereafter, but due to the NFL lockout, he was unable to work with coaches and teammates until the lockout was resolved in late July. Furthermore, injuries hit the defensive line hard and the young rookie was pressed into immediate duty. Liuget became the Chargers’ opening day starter at right defensive end where he remained throughout the season. He started 13 of the 15 games in which he played and his numbers were solid with 26 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and three passes defensed.Work ethic is one trait that was drilled into Liuget at an early age. His father, DeJa, was killed while visiting Corey’s grandmother in Haiti in 1993. It left Corey’s mom, Lorene, to raise him and his four older brothers and sisters as a single parent in Miami’s housing projects. When her kids were young, Lorene enlisted their help to make ends meet. She would boil peanuts, make candy apples, conch fritters and sweet potato pies, which Corey and his brothers and sisters would sell. It worked and it taught all of the kids about work ethic and discipline.Liuget went on to have a standout career at Miami’s Hialeah High School. Despite hailing from a close-knit family that tops 100 in number and a strong recruiting push from the big in-state schools, Liuget opted to chart his own path and enrolled at the University of Illinois. After a couple of years in Champaign, Ill., Liuget grew homesick though and contemplated returning home after his sophomore season. Some tough love from his mom persuaded him to stick it out and instead of moping over the situation, Liuget used it as motivation. He lost 25 pounds between his sophomore and junior seasons, and feeling re-invigorated, had a career year for the Fighting Illini in 2010. Liuget then chose to leave school a year early and apply for the NFL Draft. The Chargers loved the toughness, tenacity and relentless approach to the game that he showed and made Liuget their first-ever first-round pick from Illinois.Liuget appreciates living in San Diego, a military city, as his two older sisters, Ideidre and Latronika, both serve our country in the U.S. Army.
The Chargers opened the 2011 NFL Draft by selecting Liuget (LEE-jit), a second-team All-Big Ten choice as a junior at Illinois. A native of Miami, Florida, Liuget had grown homesick and contemplated returning home after his sophomore season in Champaign, Illinois, but some tough love from his mom, Lorene, persuaded him to stick it out. Instead of moping at his situation, Liuget used it as motivation to push himself harder to excel and he lost 25 pounds between his sophomore and junior seasons. Feeling re-invigorated, Liuget had a career year in 2010 and opted to leave school a year early to apply for the NFL Draft. The Chargers fell in love with his toughness, tenacity and relentless approach to the game in making him their first-ever first-round pick from the University of Illinois. Liuget played mostly defensive tackle in college, but the Chargers plan to line him up at defensive end.
Liuget credits his mom and stepdad, George, with being the biggest influences on his life. He has very faint memories of his biological father, DeJa, who was killed while visiting his grandmother in Haiti in 1993. As a tribute to his late father, Liuget wore No. 93 at Illinois.
Liuget is the youngest of of five children in his family. He has two older brothers and two older sisters, Ideidre and Latronika, who both serve in the Army.
TRANSACTION HISTORY: First-round pick (18), April 28, 2011...agreed to four-year contract, Aug. 4, 2011.
2011: Had a team-high two tackles for loss in his first-career NFL game Week 1 against Minnesota...Recorded his first-career forced fumble Week 8 against Kansas City... Liuget’s eight-yard tackle for loss Week 14 against Buffalo helped give the ball back to the Chargers for an field goal drive...Helped close out the victory Week 15 against Baltimore with his first-career sack late in the fourth quarter.
COLLEGE: Honorable mention All-America by Pro Football Weekly and second-team All-Big Ten as junior in 2010...also team captain and Fighting Illini Outstanding DL...ranked seventh in Big Ten in TFLs (12.5) and eighth in sacks (4.5) in ’10...Big Ten Defensive POW after 1.5 TFLs vs. Fresno State...finished career with 125 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 25.5 TFLs, two FFs, three FRs and 13 QB hurries...played at Illinois from 2008-10...left school after junior season...sociology major.
PERSONAL: Born in Miami, Florida...first-team all-state and all-area at Hialeah (Fla.) HS...also wrestled...invited to play in 2008 Offense-Defense All-American game in Miami
