Senior made the move from safety to outside linebacker in new defensive coordinator Nate Woody’s 3-4 scheme during the spring … excelled at his new position during spring drills and is penciled in as the starter at one of the OLB positions going into fall camp … linebacker is a good fit for the hard-hitting, tough-nosed former walk-on.

2012: Started all 12 games at free safety … ranked fourth on the team and 32nd in the Southern Conference with 63 total tackles … recorded at least three tackles in every game … opened the season with eight stops at East Carolina … made a career-high 10 tackles versus The Citadel … had five stops, including one for loss, in win at Chattanooga … closed the season with three-straight six-tackle games … six stops in win at top-ranked Georgia Southern included one for loss … recorded a TFL, forced fumble and fumble recovery all on one key play that set up an Appalachian State touchdown during SoCon title-clinching victory over Furman in regular-season finale.

2011: Limited to seven games by recurring thigh injuries … started first three games of the year at free safety before sitting out the next five contests due to the thigh ailment … finished the year with 14 tackles in seven games, with two of the stops coming on kickoff coverage … made a season-high five tackles in season opener at Virginia Tech … had three stops in home-opening win over North Carolina A&T … made just one tackle before suffering the thigh injury the following week versus Savannah State … missed five full games before returning to the field on Nov. 5 at Furman … made five tackles over the final three games of the season, including two each versus Western Carolina and Maine … broke up a pass versus WCU and blocked a field goal against Maine.

2010: Walk-on true freshman earned a spot on the travel squad with his terrific performance in fall camp ... made headlines by blocking two punts (one of which was wiped out due to a penalty) and recording four special-teams tackles in home-opening win over Jacksonville ... the standout performance in only his second collegiate game spurred head coach Jerry Moore to announce following the game that he would be put on scholarship ... went on to see more playing time at safety in addition to his duties on special teams ... made first start at free safety in sixth game of the season versus The Citadel and registered four tackles and a pass break-up ... started again the next week at Western Carolina and broke up another pass but suffered a thigh injury and missed the following game versus Furman ... did not return to the starting lineup the rest of the season but continued to contribute greatly down the stretch, highlighted by a season-high eight tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass break-up  in SoCon title-clinching rout over No. 4 Wofford ... tallied four tackles in losses to Florida and Villanova ... finished season with 30 tackles (21 solo), three pass break-ups and a fumble recovery in 12 games ... was Appalachian State’s only representative on the SoCon’s all-freshman team.

High School: Was the state of North Carolina’s leading tackler with 221 stops as a senior at A.C. Reynolds H.S., helping lead the Rockets to the 2009 N.C. 4-A state championship ... named state championship game’s most valuable defensive player ... earned all-state recognition as a senior and all-conference accolades as a junior and senior ... was A.C. Reynolds’ 2009 football MVP and the school’s Male Athlete of the Year for 2009-10 ... coached by Shane Laws ... earned a total of seven varsity letters, also lettering in basketball and track and field.

Personal: Full name is Patrick Cordell Blalock ... born July 15, 1992 (21 years old) ... son of Jennifer McCann and Richard Blalock ... both parents are school psychologists ... enjoys collecting movies ... majoring in business marketing ... member of Appalachian State athletics’ and Southern Conference academic honor rolls.