Caleb Murphy recorded six sacks last Saturday, giving him 24 and a half for the season, enough to shatter the previous Division 2 record.
"Me and my mom, we talked about it before the year. She asked me what my goals were, she asks me every year," Murphy said. "This year I told her I want to break the record, break (Matt) Judon's record. That was the only goal to get to 21 and a half."
Current NFL sacks leader Matt Judon set the record playing for Grand Valley State back in 2015.
Murphy actually played for GVSU after graduating from Dowagiac in 2018.
He redshirted that fall, and in 2019 recorded 13 tackles and a sack in eight games playing for the Lakers.
He transferred to Ferris State and has been dominant since stepping foot on campus.
"As he rolled in, he was always good," Ferris State head coach Tony Annese said about Murphy. "I don't know what he was like at his previous institution, but I know since he's got here, he's been incredible."
Murphy gives the credit for his success to his teammates and coaches, led by his position coach on the defensive line.
"Tesfa Smith, he's a wonderful guy. Since I've met him, he's done nothing but help me get better," Murphy said. "Including the d-line teammates, they've taught me everything that I've known, everything that I use. I could talk about every single one of them in the room."
Murphy, who was an All-American last season, was the GLIAC player of the year, is a nominee for the Harlon Hills Award, which goes to the top Division 2 player in the nation and is finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, which goes to the top defensive end in all of college football, regardless of division.
"He's a dog, everybody knows that," Ferris State junior quarterback Mylik Mitchell said. "He's going to be somewhere playing big ball one day and I am glad he is our team terrorizing other quarterbacks.
The Bulldogs are getting set to play the only team they lost to this season, Grand Valley State, in the Super Regional 3 Final on Saturday.
Murphy is only interested in team goals now.
"I'm here to win a National Championship, Murphy said. "We won one last year, I love that feeling more than I than I loved anything, the All-American award, defensive lineman of the year, any of it. That is what I want to get back to is that feeling of a National Championship."
