Despite playing in fewer games than he did his rookie year, Detroit Lions second-year defensive end Cliff Avril finished with more sacks, more tackles, and helped his team to a better record in his second season.

In 2009, Avril was forced to miss three games with various ailments, but in 13 games recorded 5.5 sacks and 41 total tackles as the Lions went 2-14 – one year after going 0-16.

As a rookie third-round draft pick out of Purdue in 2008, Avril played in 15 games and had five sacks, tying for the most in the NFL among rookies, and was selected First Team All-Rookie by The Sporting News.

Avril, a pure speed rusher who started most of the season at right end, was moved from the left side to the right often depending on the situation and had to adjust to new techniques coming from the other side.

“I learned a lot this season,” Avril said. “It was only my second year in the league, and in a lot of ways I’m still learning to play the game. I think I finished a little better than I did last year, but it’s still not where I wanted to be this season. Any pass rusher wants to get double digits in sacks, but my main goal was to avoid a sophomore slump and get more sacks than I did as a rookie. I did that with an extra half sack even though I played two less games.”

Avril lives and trains in Florida during the off-season.

He was just a third-round draft pick last year. No fewer than 17 defensive linemen were drafted before him, including 12 defensive ends.

But Cliff Avril, who earned a starting job at right defensive end with the Detroit Lions midway through the season, emerged from the pack after an outstanding season and was selected First Team All-Rookie by the Sporting News.

Avril, a speed rusher drafted out of Purdue, recorded 5 sacks and was a rare ray of light for the winless Lions despite limited playing time through the first half of the season. His sack total tied him for the NFL rookie lead with Jason Jones of the Tennessee Titans and Trevor Scott of the Oakland Raiders.

The other DE honored by the Sporting News was Chris Long of the St. Louis Rams – who was chosen 2nd overall in the same draft.

Avril was chosen more than 70 picks after the New York Jets took Vernon Gholston, a defensive end who rarely even got on the field.

Sporting News All-Rookie Team, Defense:

DE—Cliff Avril, Detroit
DE—Chris Long, St. Louis
DT—Jason Jones, Tennessee
DT—Glenn Dorsey, Kansas City
LB—Jerod Mayo, New England
LB—Curtis Lofton, Atlanta
LB—Xavier Adibi, Houston
CB—Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Arizona
CB—Brandon Flowers, Kansas City
S—Chris Horton, Washington
S—Charles Godfrey, Carolina

Though the Detroit Lions made NFL history by finishing 0-16, rookie defensive end Cliff Avril gave the team something to look forward to as the Lions regroup for 2009.

Avril, a third-round draft pick in 2008 out of Purdue, finished the season with 5 sacks – including four in the last six games as the Lions took a look toward the future and gave their young guys more playing time. The NFL also is reviewing a play from the Lions’ game against Green Bay in the final game of the season and is expected to award another sack to Avril, which would give him 6 – the most for a rookie in the NFL this season.

“I’m definitely proud to have led all rookies in sacks,” Avril said. “As the season went on I got more playing time; I just wasn’t playing that much at the beginning of the season. I had to build up a little faith from the coaching staff, earn their trust.”

Avril played in 15 games, starting the final five at right defensive end, and finished with 23 tackles. He also showed a knack for the big play, forcing four fumbles and nearly returning one for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 27 before he was tackled at the 2-yard line.

He will spend the off-season at home in Jacksonville, Fla.

While the Detroit Lions continue their seemingly unstoppable freefall, one of the team’s few highlights has been the play of rookie defensive end Cliff Avril.

Avril, a third-round draft pick out of Purdue, seems to be getting better and better every week. Maybe that’s because he didn’t start playing football until he was a junior in high school, meaning his first year with the Lions is only his seventh year donning a helmet and shoulder pads.

Despite being undersized for a lineman at 6-3, 251 pounds, Avril, who started for the first time on Sunday at right defensive end, has racked up four sacks this season. His playing time has increased exponentially thanks to his work ethic, recent success and injuries to starting linemen Jared DeVries and Dewayne White.

Avril is 3-for-3, with three sacks in three games since he went public with his goal of reaching five sacks for the season three games ago. He had one sack coming in when he set that goal and is now just one from reaching the goal with three games remaining.

The Lions face Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts on the road Sunday.