High School: Competed in football, basketball, and track and field at Amherst High School...three-year starter in football as a linebacker and tight end for head coach Ken Jacque...led team to a three-year record of 27-10...earned Western Massachusetts All-Scholastic honors and all-league laurels at linebacker and tight end...played in All-Gazette/Shriners All-Star game...recorded 100 tackles and had 500 reception yards as a senior...two-year letterwinner in track as a sprinter...lettered one year in basketball as a forward and led team to 18-7 record.
At Delaware: Fifth-year senior and key member of the Blue Hen defensive front...three-year letterwinner...projected to take over full-time starting post at right defensive end this fall...one of the team's most experienced players...has played in 33 games with 15 starts and recorded 76 career tackles...team's No. 2 active career leader - behind Matt Marcorelle - with 13 tackles for loss (73 yards) and 9.5 sacks (67 yards)...looks to return to full strength after missing the last two games of the 2008 season and all of spring drills with a knee injury that required surgery in December....strong pass rusher and effective at knocking down passes at the line...projected as No. 2 at right end behind senior Ronald Talley but will be used in passing situations.
2008 Season: Earned third letter as a key member of the Blue Hen defensive front as an end...appeared in 10 games and started five contests...missed final two games of the season vs. Richmond and Villanova due to a knee injury suffered in the win over Towson...started five of six games in mid-season...led team and ranked No. 10 in Colonial Athletic Association in sacks with five for 36 yards and ranked No. 5 among Blue Hen down linemen with 29 tackles, including 21 solo stops...also recorded 5.5 tackles for losses of 37 yards, broke up a pass, forced two fumbles (No. 5 in CAA), and blocked one kick...recorded two sacks for 17 yards vs. Towson and was named the Blue Hen Touchdown Club Defensive Player of the Week...also notched sacks vs. Maryland, Albany, and James Madison...forced fumbles vs. Maryland and Towson...recorded season-high eight tackles vs. No. 1 ranked James Madison and added six tackles against Albany and four vs. Towson...posted four tackles vs. Massachusetts in a return to his hometown...team went 4-8.
2007 Season: One of the team’s most improved players on the defensive side of the field...appeared in 14 games and started eight of them...led team to record of 11-4 and a berth in the FCS national title game...proved valuable as a replacement when Talley was hampered by an injury the second half of the season...started the final seven games of the season...ranked third among down linemen with 44 total tackles (24 solo) and also recorded 6.5 tackles for loss (32 yards), 3.5 sacks (27 yards), and one pass breakup...recorded a career-high seven tackles vs. James Madison and added six stop each vs. Monmouth and Richmond and five vs. Navy...had nine tackles in four post-season games...registered two tackles for loss vs. Monmouth and had one sack each vs. Monmouth, New Hampshire, and Southern Illinois.
2006 Season: Earned first letter as a part-time starter at defensive end...played in nine games and started two contests, the season opener vs. West Chester and the mid-season game at Northeastern...posted three tackles on the season, including two solo stops....had one sack for four yards (vs. West Chester) and registered two pass breakups - both vs. James Madison...had one tackle each vs. West Chester, James Madison, and Villanova...team went 5-6.
2005: Did not see game action and retained freshman eligibility...team went 6-5.
Personal: John F. Higginson...born July 27, 1987 in Chicago, IL...son of John Higginson and Joye Bowman...honor student as a finance major at Delaware with a minor in economics...named to 2006 Atlantic 10 All-Academic team and to 2008 CAA Academic Honor Roll...has two sisters...both parents are history professors at the University of Massachusetts...cousin, Bobby Starks, played college football as a wide receiver at Tennessee...grandfather, Henry Bowman, was a Big 10 Conference football referee in the 1960’s and 1970’s...has worked as an Upward Bound counselor during the summer...also worked as an intern at J.P. Morgan Bank this last summer.
CAREER DEFENSIVE STATISTICS
| YEAR |
G/S |
Tackles (Solo) |
TFL |
Sacks |
PD |
Int. |
| 2008 |
10/5 |
29 (21) |
5.5-37 |
5-36 |
1 |
0 |
| 2007 |
14/8 |
44 (24) |
6.5-32 |
3.5-27 |
1 |
0 |
| 2006 |
9/2 |
3 (2) |
1.0-4 |
1-4 |
2 |
0 |
| Totals |
33/15 |
76 (47) |
13-73 |
9.5-67 |
4 |
0 |
Career-High Tackles: 8 vs. James Madison, 2008
Career-High Sacks: 2 vs. Towson, 2008
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