4 - Eddie Royal Position: Flanker
Class: Senior
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 180 lbs.
High School: Westfield
Hometown: Herndon, Va.
 
photo A threat any time he touches the football ... Led the team in receiving yards (497), punt returns (13.2 ypr) and kickoff returns (22.7 ypr) ... Earned honorable mention All-America honors as a punt returner from SI.com ... Scored three touchdowns receiving and one on a punt return last year ... Also passed for a TD ... Led the ACC in punt returns ... Was named second-team All-ACC as a return specialist ... Currently ranks second at Tech in career punt return yards, third in career kickoff return yards and tied for 10th in career pass receptions ... Pound-for-pound one of the strongest players on the team with a 390-pound bench press ... Has real football savvy to go with all the skills needed to be a game-breaker ... Will be looked to for leadership and another outstanding season.

2006: Hauled in 31 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns ... Also had 24 yards on five rushes, 304 yards on 23 punt returns, 53 yards on one completion and 431 yards on 19 kickoff returns ... Caught two passes for 8 yards against Northeastern ... Also returned three punts for 24 yards, had a 16-yard kickoff return and rushed once for a 9-yard gain ... Sprained a big toe in that game and played sparingly at UNC ... Saw a 20-game starting streak broken ... Did have two kickoff returns against the Tar Heels for 47 yards ... Picked up his first touchdown on a punt return with a 58-yarder against Duke ... Finished with six returns for 138 yards ... Added two receptions for 55 yards ... Had a catch for 44 yards in the Cincinnati game ... Also returned four kickoffs for 72 yards ... Had career-best seven catches and 102 yards receiving in the Georgia Tech game ... Scored on a 21-yard pass ... Caught five passes at BC for 44 yards ... Had a 40-yard catch in the Southern Miss game ... Returned a kickoff for 27 yards at Miami ... Posted three catches for 24 yards and three punt returns for 49 yards against Kent State ... Hauled in a 49-yard touchdown pass on Tech's first series at Wake Forest and added a career-best 55-yard kickoff return ... The Virginia game marked his second-straight game with a 49-yard TD catch ... Finished the contest with four grabs for 72 yards ... Had a huge bowl game for the Hokies against Georgia ... Caught four passes for 45 yards with a long of 28 yards ... Had a 53-yard punt return that set up a touchdown ... Took a lateral pass and completed a 53-yard strike to tight end Sam Wheeler for a touchdown in the second quarter, becoming the first non-quarterback in Tech history to throw a touchdown pass in a bowl game ... Caught four passes for 19 yards during first spring scrimmage ... Had a 12-yard catch in the second scrimmage.

2005: Was third on the team in receptions with 27 for 315 yards and two touchdowns ... Carried the football 10 times for 79 yards and a TD ... Averaged 8.2 yards on punt returns and 20.9 yards on kickoff returns ... Broke his own position record for the bench press with a lift of 380 when the players returned in August ... Returned a punt 19 yards against NC State in the season opener ... Caught a pass for an 18-yard gain in the Duke game ... Posted two catches for 44 yards against Georgia Tech ... Also had a 36-yard kickoff return and four punt returns for 35 yards in that game ... Tied a career-high with six catches at West Virginia, including a 15-yarder for a TD ... Also had 20 yards rushing on a pair of reverses ... Caught three passes for 34 yards in win over Marshall ... Had two punt returns for 38 yards and two kickoff returns for 43 at Maryland ... Also had three receptions for 33 yards and a rush for 8 yards ... Scored on a 15-yard reverse in the BC game ... Returned the opening kickoff against Miami, but was sidelined the rest of the game by a hamstring injury ... Caught three passes at Virginia for 47 yards and a touchdown ... Hauled in four passes for 43 yards against FSU ... Caught two passes against Louisville in the Gator Bowl ... Gained Super Iron Hokie honors during spring max tests ... Had a personal-best 450-pound back squat and a 39-inch vertical jump ... Also turned in the best 40 time at 4.22 ... Hauled in three passes for 52 yards in Tech's second spring scrimmage ... Scored the first touchdown of the Maroon-White game on a 4-yard reverse ... Had one catch in the game for 12 yards and two punt returns for 26 yards.

2004: Led the team with 28 catches for 470 yards and three touchdowns ... Also averaged 28.8 on kick returns and 11.0 on punt returns ... Saw action on 328 snaps on offense and 85 on special teams in the regular season ... Got his first collegiate start against Western Michigan ... Scored the game's first touchdown on an 11-yard reverse ... Later scored on a 35-yard touchdown pass ... Had a big day returning punts against NC State ... Had a long of 58 yards ... Finished with 107 yards on three returns ... Also caught two passes for 47 yards ... Caught an 8-yard pass on Tech's first offensive possession against WVU, but suffered a slight concussion on that play ... Missed the rest of the first half ... Returned in the second half to catch five passes for 37 yards ... Finished the game with a career-high six receptions for 45 yards ... Missed the FAMU game due to an illness ... Started at Georgia Tech and scored on a big 80-yard touchdown catch-and-run ... The 80-yard score was the longest by a Tech freshman since freshmen were eligible to play in 1972 ... Finished the game with three catches for 91 yards ... Did suffer a fumble on a kickoff return ... Had four catches for 84 yards, as well as a 25-yard kickoff return, at North Carolina ... Caught two passes for 44 yards, including the game-winning, 39-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, at Miami ... Had an 18-yard punt return to set up that drive ... Had a 48-yard kickoff return in the Sugar Bowl against Auburn ... Set a position record in the bench press with a 365-pound mark.

High School: Named the Mid-Atlantic Offensive Player of the Year by SuperPrep ... Selected the Group AAA player of the year by The Associated Press ... Was The Washington Post All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year ... Earned both SuperPrep and PrepStar All-America honors following his senior season for Coach Tom Verbanic ... Teamed with fellow Tech signee Sean Glennon to lead his team to the Group AAA Division 6 championship with a 14-0 record ... Had 41 pass receptions for 875 yards and 11 touchdowns ... Contributed a 47-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 1-yard TD run on a reverse in the state title game ... Hauled in 48 passes as a junior for 905 yards and 11 touchdowns ... Scored 10 TDs on kick returns during his career ... Rated the No. 1 player in Virginia by SuperPrep and the No. 2 player by The Roanoke Times ... Ranked the No. 13 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals ... Was picked first-team all-state by the state coaches as a receiver and kick returner.

Personal: William Edward Royal ... Born 5/21/86 in Alexandria, VA ... Son of Pearl Royal ... Majoring in sociology.

Passing G Effic. Att-Comp Pct. Yds. TD INT
2006 13 225.07 3-1 33.3 53 1 1
2007 13 -100.00 2-0 .0 0 0 1
Career 26 95.04 5-1 20.0 53 1 2

Rushing G No. Yds. Avg. TD LG
2004 12 1 11 11.0 1 11
2005 13 10 79 7.9 1 17
2006 13 5 24 4.8 0 10
2007 13 8 112 14.0 0 53
Career 51 24 226 9.4 2 53

Receiving G No. Yds. Avg. TD LG
2004 12 28 470 16.8 3 80
2005 13 27 315 11.7 2 42
2006 13 31 497 16.0 3 49
2007 13 33 496 15.0 4 56
Career 51 119 1778 14.9 12 80

Tackles G UT AT Tot. Loss Sacks
2005 13 2 0 2 0-0 0-0
2006 13 1 0 1 0-0 0-0
2007 13 1 0 1 0-0 0-0
Career 39 4 0 4 0-0 0-0

K.O. Ret. G No. Yds. Avg. TD LG
2004 12 12 346 28.8 0 48
2005 13 14 293 20.9 0 36
2006 13 19 431 22.7 0 55
2007 13 14 316 22.6 0 59
Career 51 59 1386 23.5 0 59

Punt Ret. G No. Yds. Avg. TD LG
2004 12 25 274 11.0 0 58
2005 13 32 263 8.2 0 29
2006 13 23 304 13.2 1 58
2007 13 31 455 14.7 2 82
Career 51 111 1296 11.7 3 82