He grew up in Lisle, Illinois and attended Naperville North High School.

[1] He began his career at the University of Notre Dame as a wide receiver before switching to safety after his redshirt freshman season.

He was one of the better enforcers Notre Dame had in recent years, even being labeled as "The Quiet Assassin" by teammates.

Earl was knocked out with a torn Lisfranc ligament in his foot during the 2007 preseason in a game at Reliant Stadium.

[3] After two seasons away from the NFL recovering from his foot injury, Earl agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears on March 20, 2009.