Fourth-year Bengal had his best season of a stellar career, winning team tackling title by a wide margin and posting career- high 6 sacks ... Chosen as defensive team captain for third straight year ... Named AFC Defensive Player of the week for his performance Sept. 23 vs. Baltimore, as he made dramatic 66-yard interception for TD, sealing win that halted 12-game win streak by defending Super Bowl champs.

2001 PARTICIPATION: Started at RLB in Games 1-4 and 6-16 ... Missed Game 5, Oct. 14 vs. Cleveland, due to his father's death ... Ranked second on the defense with 917 snaps played, 90.9% of the 1009 total snaps.

TACKLING MACHINE: In 2001, Spikes became the fifth Bengal to win as many as three team tackling titles. NT Tim Krumrie won a record 5 club titles, LB Jim LeClair won four, and LBs Reggie Williams and Steve Tovar also won three. Spikes has collected his three titles in only four seasons. The only season he didn't finish first was 1999, when he came in a close second to LB Brian Simmons.

2001 HIGHLIGHTS: Led the team in solo tackles (114) as well as total tackles (173) ... His 6 sacks topped his previous career best of 3 in 1999 ... Posted three of the top four tackle totals in a game by a Bengals player on the season, including top mark of 17 on Nov. 25 at Cleveland ... Only Bengal to log as many as 10 solos in a game, getting 14 on Dec. 23 at Baltimore and 10 each on Sept. 9 vs. New England and Dec. 2 vs. Tampa Bay ... Led team with 13 total tackles Sept. 9 vs. New England. Sacked Patriots' QB Drew Bledsoe for 7-yard loss in fourth quarter ... Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his 11-tackle, 1-INT performance Sept. 23 vs. Baltimore. Highlight vs. Ravens was his fourth quarter interception and 66-yard return for touchdown, extending Bengals lead to the final score of 21-10 ... Led team with 9 tackles Sept. 30 at San Diego ... Made 10 tackles (7 solo) Oct. 7 at Pittsburgh, including sacking Pittsburgh's QB Kordell Stewart in the third quarter for a 12-yard loss ... Returned to starting lineup Oct. 21 vs. Chicago after missing Cleveland game due to his father's death. Made 7 stops (4 solo) vs. Bears, including tackle on RB Anthony Thomas for 2-yard loss in fourth quarter ... Led team with 12 tackles Oct. 28 at Detroit. Sacked Lions' Charlie Batch for 4-yard loss to Detroit 2-yard line on third- down play in third quarter, forcing punt that yielded field position for Bengals field goal drive and a 24-19 lead … Second on team with 10 tackles (5 solo) Nov. 11 at Jacksonville, including 12-yard sack on Mark Brunell in second quarter to help force a punt …Led the team Nov. 18 vs. Tennessee with 15 tackles (8 solo). During the Titans' first drive , Spikes batted down a pass on third down, forcing a field goal attempt. Stopped RB Eddie George for 2-yard gains on back-to-back plays in the first quarter, forcing a punt. ... Led the team with 17 tackles (8 solo) Nov. 25 at Cleveland, tied for his highest total tackles figure of the season … Tied for team lead with 12 tackles (team-leading 10 solo) Dec. 2 against Tampa Bay. Ran RB Warrick Dunn out of bounds for a 2- yard loss on a first down in the third quarter, and stopped RB Mike Alstott on the same drive for a 1-yard loss on a third down, and the ensuing fourth down attempt failed … Led the team Dec. 9 against Jacksonville with 11 tackles (6 solo) … Led team with 9 tackles (8 solo) Dec. 16 at N.Y. Jets, and broke up one pass … Had 17 tackles (14 solo) on Dec. 23 at Baltimore, excelling in game that had been hyped as a showdown between Spikes and Baltimore LB Ray Lewis. Spikes' solo tackles vs. Ravens were most in a game by a Bengal all season, and his total tackles tied the team high he had set earlier in the year at Cleveland. … Spikes' 9 tackles (4 solo) on Dec. 30 vs. Pittsburgh included teaming with LB Canute Curtis to stop RB Chris Fuamata Ma'afala for a 4-yard loss on a first down of the Steelers overtime possession ... Had 2 sacks in victory Jan. 6 at Tennessee, dropping Steve McNair for 12-yards in second quarter and Neil O'Donnell for 11 yards with a forced fumble (Titans recovered) in third quarter. Led team at Tennessee in tackles (11) and solos (8), including stops on RB Eddie George for losses of 2 and 4 yards. Also had a pass broken up in victory over Titans.

PERSONAL: Hometown is Sandersville, Ga. ... Earned All-America honors from Parade and USA Today during prep career at Washington County High School, and was named Georgia's "Mr. Football" by state's coaches as a senior ... Also was named Georgia Player of the Year as a prep senior by Atlanta Journal-Constitution ... Liberal arts major at Auburn ... Hobbies include fishing, traveling and meeting people ... Single ... Full name is Takeo Gerard Spikes ... First name is pronounced "tuh-KEE-oh," and means "great warrior" in Japanese.