Stephen Tulloch attended Killian High School in Miami, Florida where he was a starting linebacker on the football team. As a junior he totaled 132 tackles, 12 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles on his way to all-county honors. As a senior he finished with 132 tackles, 12 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions. He was named county defensive player of the year for his performance as a senior. He accepted a scholarship to North Carolina State where he became an immediate contributor, finishing with 65 tackles as a true freshman in 2003. He was named defensive newcomer of the year following his first season with the Wolfpack. He started six games as a sophomore, totaling 75 tackles and 1 sack on the season. Stephen missed spring practices in 2005 while recovering from shoulder surgery he had in January. He returned to have his best season with career highs in tackles (134), sacks (6), and interceptions (1). Stephen has one year of eligibility left but he opted to leave school early to enter the 2006 NFL draft.

Stephen Tulloch has a good deal of experience having started for the Wolfpack over the past three seasons. During that time he has been a very durable player who hasn’t missed much time due to injury. He is an instinctive player who does a good job of reading and reacting to the offense. He is a good run defender who makes plays sideline to sideline and excels at making plays in the open field. He proved to be a very effective blitzer as a junior with six sacks on the season. Tulloch lacks ideal size for a linebacker in the NFL. He lacks great strength and has a difficult time shedding blocks. He isn’t the fastest player and he can be a liability in coverage. Tulloch is an early entry who may have benefited from another year of college. He should be a late round pick in the 2006 NFL draft.