Jermaine Gresham of Oklahoma Named John Mackey Tight End of the Week

Manhasset, N.Y. (December 3, 2008) - Jermaine Gresham of Oklahoma was named John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission for the second consecutive week. The Big 12 South Conference junior led the team with nine receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns including a 73-yard TD reception as Oklahoma routed Oklahoma State 61-41. Gresham, who was named one of three finalists for the 2008 John Mackey Award will face off against fellow Mackey Award finalist Chase Coffman and Missouri this weekend in the Big 12 Championship game. Mike McNeil of Nebraska and Chase Coffman of Missouri were also in consideration for this week's honor.

The John Mackey Tight End of the Week is an honor distinct and different from the annual John Mackey Award. This weekly honor was started in 2004 to draw attention to individual play by Tight Ends during the active season. The Tight End of the Week acknowledgment does not have a direct bearing on the final John Mackey Award selection process.

The Nassau County Sports Commission, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization created to enhance quality of life of Nassau County residents through sports, is responsible for the administration of the John Mackey Award and the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. The 2008 recipient of "The Mackey" will be announced at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show live December 11, 2008 on ESPN and presented at the Nassau County Sports Commission Annual Awards Dinner on April 27, 2009.


For additional information, please visit www.johnmackeyaward.org or www.nassausports.org.

Photo Credit: OU Athletics Department

Small School Players of the Week - Week Twelve

By JOSH BUCHANAN - SMALL SCHOOL INSIDER

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

RB Edwin Gowins, Stony Brook
Gowins churned out 250 yards and three scores on just 20 carries to lead Stony Brook over VMI in a 40-26 victory. This after Gowins put up a 278-yard and three score effort the week before. His 250 yards against VMI was the second best rushing day in Big South history. He averaged 12.5 yards per carry.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

S Ryan Barnes, Harvard
Barnes had a spectacular effort with three interceptions in the Crimson’s 24-21 win over Penn. This was his first game since suffering a shoulder stinger on Oct. 25th and it was the best of his career. He also had three pass breakups to finish with six passes defended and added five tackles, four of them solo stops. The first pick came in the end zone to kill an eight-minute drive by Penn and the second set up a 20-yard field goal in the third quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

K Matt Partain, Holy Cross
Partain nailed field goals from 23 and 32 yards out in the second half to key a comeback win from 13 down. He hit the game winning PAT with six seconds left to give the Crusaders the 27-26 victory. Partain finished with nine points and hit all three of his extra points. He now leads the team in scoring with 75 points.

Photo Credit: Harvard Athletic Communications

BCS Busters - Players of the Week

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

WR Jimmy Young, TCU
The sophomore wide out broke out for the Horned Frogs last Saturday with five receptions for 226 yards and three touchdowns. All three touchdowns went for at least 39 yards, with his longest reception of the day (65 yards) setting up yet another score. Young’s 226 yards set a school record and is the best receiving performance by a Mountain West player this season.

Honorable Mention: Levi Brown, QB, Troy:
40-of-50 passing, 391 yards, two touchdowns

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

S James Lockett, Tulsa
Whether he was blitzing or dropping back in coverage, Lockett was making plays in Tulsa’s 49-19 win over Central Florida. The junior recorded three of the Golden Hurricane’s nine sacks and a pair of forced fumbles, each of which led to a Tulsa touchdown.

Honorable Mention: Jorrick Calvin, DB, Troy: nine tackles, two TFLs, interception in end zone

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

K Kevin Goessling, Fresno St.
Goessling’s 58-yard field goal as time expired won the game for the Bulldogs 30-28 over Utah St. It was the freshman’s third field goal of the day.

Honorable Mention: Mike Salerno, K, Northern Illinois: game-tying & game-winning FGs

Photo Credit: TCU Athletics Media Relations

Small School Players of the Week

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

WR Ramses Barden, Cal Poly
Barden had a record-breaking weekend with 12 catches for 217 yards and two touchdowns in Cal Poly’s win over Southern Utah. With that performance, he broke Darrell Jones’ school record for career catches with 181 and snapped Jerry Rice’s mark for touchdown receptions in consecutive games at 27.

DEFENSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

S Beau Hadley, Weber St.
Hadley recorded 11 tackles, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in the Wildcats’ 42-14 victory over Northern Arizona. Hadley’s game-changing plays occurred with NAU still in the game. His first forced fumble, which he recovered, led to a touchdown to give Weber St. a 14-0 first-quarter lead. His second forced fumble also led to a score and put the game out of reach (28-7) in the third quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

K Patrick Bolen, Georgia Southern
Bolen’s numbers weren’t the most impressive but his kicks were a key to the Eagles’ comeback win over Western Carolina. He put three-of-five kickoffs through the end zone for touchbacks and executed the first onside kick of the season to aid Georgia Southern in their largest comeback win in school history.

Photo Credit: Great West Conference

Kory Sperry of Colorado State Named John Mackey Tight End of the Week

Manhasset, N.Y. (October 29, 2008) - Kory Sperry of Colorado State was named John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission. The Mountain West Conference senior recorded six receptions for 51 yards and three touchdowns, most importantly the go-ahead touchdown in the beginning of the fourth quarter to lead the Rams to a huge 38-34 victory over San Diego State. Other candidates considered for this week's Mackey Tight End of the Week include Brandon Pettigrew of Oklahoma State and DJ Williams of Arkansas.

The John Mackey Tight End of the Week is an honor distinct and different from the annual John Mackey Award. This weekly honor was started in 2004 to draw attention to individual play by Tight Ends during the active season. The Tight End of the Week acknowledgment does not have a direct bearing on the final John Mackey Award selection process.

The Nassau County Sports Commission, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization created to enhance quality of life of Nassau County residents through sports, is responsible for the administration of the John Mackey Award and the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. The 2008 recipient of "The Mackey" will be announced at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show live December 11, 2008 on ESPN and presented at the Nassau County Sports Commission Annual Awards Dinner on April 27, 2009.

For additional information, please visit www.johnmackeyaward.org or www.nassausports.org.

John Phillips of Virginia Named John Mackey Tight End of the Week

Manhasset, N.Y. (October 22, 2008) - John Phillips of Virginia was named John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission. The Atlantic Coast Conference senior recorded five receptions for 38 yards including a huge play in overtime where his game changing 19-yard reception set up the winning score as Virginia rallied to beat North Carolina 16-13. Other candidates considered for this week's Mackey Tight End of the Week include Jermaine Gresham of Oklahoma and Chase Coffman of Missouri.

The John Mackey Tight End of the Week is an honor distinct and different from the annual John Mackey Award. This weekly honor was started in 2004 to draw attention to individual play by Tight Ends during the active season. The Tight End of the Week acknowledgment does not have a direct bearing on the final John Mackey Award selection process.

The Nassau County Sports Commission, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization created to enhance quality of life of Nassau County residents through sports, is responsible for the administration of the John Mackey Award and the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. The 2008 recipient of "The Mackey" will be announced at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show live December 11, 2008 on ESPN and presented at the Nassau County Sports Commission Annual Awards Dinner on April 27, 2009.

For additional information, please visit www.johnmackeyaward.org or www.nassausports.org.

TCU'S HUGHES IS BRONKO NAGURSKI PLAYER OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (FWAA) - TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Oct. 18.

Hughes, a 6-2, 248-pound junior from Sugar Land, Texas, recorded four sacks (for minus-14 yards) and forced two fumbles while heading up TCU's defensive effort in a 32-7 win over previously unbeaten BYU.

The four sacks tied an Mountain West Conference single-game record and were just short of TCU's single-game mark of 4.5. Hughes had three first-half sacks and finished with five tackles as the Horned Frogs' defense held BYU to season-lows of 23 rushing yards and 297 yards of total offense.

Hughes will be added to the 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be presented to the best defensive player in college football on Dec. 7 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. Five finalists for the Nagurski Trophy will be announced on Nov. 17.

Each week during the 2008 season the FWAA All-America Committee will select a national defensive player of the week from nominations made by the 11 Division I Bowl Subdivision Conferences and major independents.

Last season, LSU tackle Glenn Dorsey won the coveted Bronko Nagurski Trophy during the 13th season the FWAA has named a national defensive player of the year.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,000 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club's activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is www.touchdownclub.com.

Colt McCoy named O'Brien Quarterback of the Week

FORT WORTH, Texas (October 20, 2008) - The Davey O'Brien Foundation has named Colt McCoy of the University of Texas the O'Brien Quarterback of the Week for week eight. McCoy continues to rank first in the O'Brien Fan Vote, and Longhorn fans are encouraged to continue the support for McCoy by visiting www.VoteOBrien.org and casting their vote. The top three candidates in the Fan Vote will automatically be added to the Semifinalist list announced Monday, October 27.

McCoy led the Longhorns to a dominant 56-31 victory on Saturday in front of more than 98,000 fans at Royal Memorial Stadium. His efficient passing and skillful play gave the Longhorns the advantage over the Missouri Tigers of the Big 12 North. Texas, who had ranked No. 1 in the USA Today Poll and the AP Poll, now also holds the No. 1 position in the first BCS rankings announced Sunday.

"We just came out strong, we came out ready to play and that's important for us every week," McCoy said after Saturday's game. "If we can do that every week that helps the defense out and it helps us get rolling. Like I said, we wanted to win up front and we did."

McCoy went 29-of-32 with no interceptions for 337 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to two rushing touchdowns. The junior quarterback continues to set Texas school records as he broke the record for most consecutive pass completions with 17, as well as the record for touchdowns responsible for in his career with 82. Both records were previously held by 2005 O'Brien Winner Vince Young.

"He just needs to continue to be who he is. I don't know if we need him to play any better," Head Coach Mack Brown said of McCoy in post game comments. "He's showing fantastic leadership, he's poised and he's not into all of the hype... I've never seen him this settled, comfortable and this confident before."

This marks the third week McCoy has received the honor of O'Brien Quarterback of the Week in recognition of his outstanding performance on the field. After a near-perfect game, McCoy and the Longhorns are already focused on their upcoming match-up against No. 6 Oklahoma State.

The O'Brien Quarterback of the Week is determined by a subset of the Davey O'Brien National Selection Committee. The subset of the committee is chaired by Verne Lundquist (CBS Sports) and consists of Dennis Dodd (CBS SportsLine), Ivan Maisel (espn.com), Joe Schad (ESPN/ABC), Dick Weiss (New York Daily News) and Kelly Whiteside (USA Today). This subset will select the quarterback of the week based on their performance during the prior weekend's game, taking into consideration individual statistics, contribution to team performance, strength of opponent, etc. McCoy is the final quarterback to receive this weekly honor for the 2008 season as The O'Brien will announce its Semifinalists next Monday.

The O'Brien honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year. Currently all 119 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) quarterbacks are candidates for the award until Semifinalists are announced on October 27. Finalists will be announced November 24. The 2008 Winner will be announced December 11.

About The O'Brien Fan Vote
Fans can now register and vote for The O'Brien Fan Vote online at www.VoteOBrien.org to show their support for their favorite college quarterback. Fans will be able to choose from any of the 119 FBS quarterbacks beginning on Tuesday, September 2, leaving room for the possibility of a quarterback who is not on the Watch List to win the award. The top three quarterbacks who garner the most votes will be added to The O'Brien Semifinalist List, and the Fan Vote will then count as 5% in determining the Finalists and Winner. The 2008 Winner will be announced during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing December 11 on ESPN. The recipient will be honored February 16, 2009, at the 32nd Annual Davey O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Colt McCoy named O'Brien Quarterback of the Week

FORT WORTH, Texas (October 13, 2008) - The Davey O'Brien Foundation has named Colt McCoy of the University of Texas the O'Brien Quarterback of the Week for week seven. McCoy currently ranks first in the O'Brien Fan Vote, and Longhorn fans are encouraged to continue the support for McCoy by visiting www.VoteOBrien.org and casting their vote. The top three candidates in the Fan Vote will automatically be added to the Semifinalist list announced October 27.

A record crowd of 92,182 filled the Cotton Bowl Stadium to watch McCoy lead the Texas Longhorns to a 45-35 victory over top-ranked Oklahoma. Texas trailed the Sooners until the fourth quarter when the battle between the Red River rivals intensified. McCoy proved his ability to execute under pressure with his success in third down conversions, the most notable of which came in the fourth quarter with a 37-yard completion to wide receiver Jordan Shipley resulting in a touchdown on the next play.

"It was a game when every time somebody made a play, the other team would get more excited," Texas Head Coach Mack Brown said in post game comments. "It was one of the greatest football games I've ever seen."

McCoy's efficient play and consistent accuracy this season are reminiscent of previous Longhorn quarterback and 2005 O'Brien Winner, Vince Young. McCoy went 28-of-35 on Saturday, completing 80 percent of his passes for 277 yards and no interceptions.

"The most important thing for me to do was to get a win. That was the main goal," McCoy said after Saturday's game when asked about post season awards. "To be able to execute Coach Davis' plan was awesome."

Brown echoed the sentiments when he said, "There are not individuals on the team, not guys who talk about themselves. It's been about 'this team' from day one."

McCoy, a 6-foot-3 junior, has thrown for 1,557 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. His 68 career touchdowns are the most thrown by a Texas Longhorn, surpassing the previous record held by Major Applewhite. After defeating the top-ranked Sooners, Texas now holds the number one position. This marks the first time the Longhorns have exited the Red River Rivalry game with an undefeated record since 2005 when they went on to win the Rose Bowl and earn a National Championship Title. McCoy and his team now set their sites on Chase Daniel and the Missouri Tigers, who they will host at home this Saturday in Austin.

The O'Brien Quarterback of the Week is determined by a subset of the Davey O'Brien National Selection Committee. The subset of the committee is chaired by Verne Lundquist (CBS Sports) and consists of Dennis Dodd (CBS SportsLine), Ivan Maisel (espn.com), Joe Schad (ESPN/ABC), Dick Weiss (New York Daily News) and Kelly Whiteside (USA Today). This subset will select the quarterback of the week based on their performance during the prior weekend's game, taking into consideration individual statistics, contribution to team performance, strength of opponent, etc.

The O'Brien honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year. Currently all 119 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) quarterbacks are candidates for the award until Semifinalists are announced on October 27. Finalists will be announced November 24. The 2008 Winner will be announced December 11.

About The O'Brien Fan Vote

Fans can now register and vote for The O'Brien Fan Vote online at www.VoteOBrien.org to show their support for their favorite college quarterback. Fans will be able to choose from any of the 119 FBS quarterbacks beginning on Tuesday, September 2, leaving room for the possibility of a quarterback who is not on the Watch List to win the award. The top three quarterbacks who garner the most votes will be added to The O'Brien Semifinalist List, and the Fan Vote will then count as 5% in determining the Finalists and Winner. The 2008 Winner will be announced during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing December 11 on ESPN. The recipient will be honored February 16, 2009, at the 32nd Annual Davey O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fans can also download an interactive "widget" at www.DaveyOBrien.org/FAN/fan_widgets.asp featuring a voting link and the ability to post and share on Web sites, social networks and blogs.


Fans can show their support by adding The O'Brien Facebook application to their Facebook Profile. The new application can be found by searching O'Brien Fan Vote and clicking the applications tab or at http://apps.new.facebook.com/daveyobrien/.

About The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award®

The O'Brien honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O'Brien aims to help instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate. The O'Brien is overseen by the Davey O'Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation has given away more than $750,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit www.DaveyOBrien.org.

BCS Busters - Players of the Week

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

RB Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana-Lafayette
The NCAA’s career active rusher sets yet another mark, breaking Brian Mitchell’s 21-year old school record for rushing yards in a single game with a 297-yard performance. Making the feat even more impressive was the fact Fenroy did it on a mere 20 carries (14.9 yards per carry). His 80-yard touchdown run late in the game allowed the Ragin’ Cajuns to extend a 37-35 lead.

Honorable Mention: Gartrell Johnson, RB, Colorado St.:
191 yards, three touchdowns

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

LB Mike Wright, Utah
The junior played a key role in Utah’s win over OSU, registering a sack among his career-high 15 tackles. Wright knocked down two passes, one on a key third down in the fourth quarter.

Honorable Mention: Brian Lainhart, S, Kent State:
Three interceptions, eight tackles

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

K/P Louie Sakoda, Utah
Sakoda kicked the game-winning field goal on the final play against Oregon St. He was 3-for-3 and averaged 44.5 yards on six punts.

Honorable Mention: Igor Iveljic, K, Akron: game-tying and game-winning FGs in OT.

Photo Credit: University of Utah

VANDERBILT'S HAMILTON IS BRONKO NAGURSKI PLAYER OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (FWAA) - Vanderbilt strong safety Ryan Hamilton has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Sept. 20.

Hamilton, a 6-2, 210-pound senior from Wycombe, Pa., tied a school record with three interceptions. He returned one interception 79 yards for a touchdown in Vanderbilt's 23-17 victory at Mississippi. Hamilton's third interception sealed the victory as time expired.

Hamilton, who became the second Vanderbilt defender to win the FWAA's weekly award this season, added a fumble recovery and had six tackles (four unassisted), including a goal-line stop that prevented a Rebel score. The other Vanderbilt winner of the award this season was linebacker Patrick Benoist in a 24-17 victory over South Carolina.

Hamilton will be added to the 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be presented to the best defensive player in college football on Dec. 7 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. Five finalists for the Nagurski Trophy will be announced on Nov. 17.

Each week during the 2008 season the FWAA All-America Committee will select a national defensive player of the week from nominations made by the 11 Division I Bowl Subdivision Conferences and major independents.

Last season, LSU tackle Glenn Dorsey won the coveted Bronko Nagurski Trophy during the 13th season the FWAA has named a national defensive player of the year.

Ohio State's Laurinaitis is Nagurski National Player of the Week

DALLAS (FWAA) - Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of Nov. 3.

Laurinaitis, a 6-3, 240-pound junior from Hamel, Minn., registered 19 tackles (nine unassisted) in Ohio State's 38-17 victory over Wisconsin. He made a key stop on Wisconsin's fake punt attempt in the fourth quarter and also had two tackles for loss, one quarterback sack and a fumble recovery.

This coming Monday, Nov. 12, five finalists will be announced for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which will be presented to the best defensive player in college football on Dec. 3 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C.

Last season, Laurinaitis won the coveted Bronko Nagurski Trophy during the 12th season the FWAA has named a Defensive Player of the Year.

SEC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OFFENSIVE
MATT FLYNN Quarterback LSU 6-3 • 228 • Senior Tyler, Texas (Robert E. Lee HS)
• Flynn completed 22 of 34 passes for 319 yards with three touchdowns (all career-highs) and also rushed for 34 yards on 10 carries in LSU’s 30-24 win against Auburn.
• Flynn’s 22-yard TD pass to Demetrius Byrd with one second left lifted the Tigers to the victory.
• Trailing 17-7 at halftime, LSU scored on five of its six second-half possessions. • Auburn came into the contest with the SEC’s second ranked total and scoring defense.

DEFENSIVE
D.J. MOORE Cornerback VANDERBILT 5-10 • 180 • Sophomore Spartanburg, S.C. (Broome HS) • Moore was credited with eight total tackles, two interceptions and a pass deflection in Vanderbilt’s 17-6 win at #6 South Carolina.
• His first interception led to Vanderbilt’s first points of the game and his final pick halted the Gamecocks’ deepest threat in Vanderbilt territory early in the second half.
• Moore’s performance was key to a Commodore defensive effort that held an SEC opponent out of the end zone for the first time in 15 seasons. The defense limited South Carolina to 26 net rushing yards and just one conversion in 12 third-down attempts.
• Moore leads the SEC with five interceptions this year.

SPECIAL TEAMS
BRETT UPSON Punter VANDERBILT 5-11 • 190 • Sophomore Griffin, Ga. (Spalding HS)
• Upson averaged 40.1 yards on eight punts and had six of them inside the 20-yard line in Vanderbilt’s 17-6 win at #6 South Carolina.
• South Carolina’s average starting field position in the game was its own 22-yard line. The Gamecocks started four of its possessions inside its own 10-yard line.
• Upson averages 38.4 yards per punt this season and leads the SEC in percentage of punts inside the 20-yard line (15 of 35, 42.9 percent).
• Vanderbilt leads the SEC in average starting field position difference (VU - 40 yd. line/ OPP - 29 yd. line).

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
JONATHAN LUIGS Center ARKANSAS 6-4 • 315 • Junior Little Rock, Ark. (Pulaski Academy) • Luigs graded out at a team-high 90 percent on 62 snaps in Arkansas’ 44-8 win over Ole Miss.
• Against the Rebels, Luigs graded out at 88 percent in run-blocking and 94 percent in pass blocking.
• He also had two knockdown blocks against Ole Miss.
• Luigs helped Arkansas rack up 437 yards of total offense, including 293 rushing yards.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
JERMAINE CUNNINGHAM Defensive End FLORIDA 6-3 • 229 • Sophomore Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson HS)
• Cunningham had a career-high 2.5 sacks (-17 yards) and seven total tackles in Florida’s 45-37 win at Kentucky.
• His previous career highs were a 17 tackles performance against LSU.
• Cunningham leads all Florida defensive linemen with 36 total tackles and two pass deflections. He is second on the team with seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

FRESHMAN
KAREEM JACKSON Cornerback ALABAMA 5-11 • 185 Macon, Ga. (Westside HS/Fork Union)
• Jackson was credited with six total tackles (five solos), two interceptions and a tackle for loss in Alabama’s 41-17 win against Tennessee.
• First interception came in thie quarter at the Alabama 10-yard line with the Tide leading, 24-17, and was returned 29 yards.
• His second interception came in the fourth quarter at the Alabama 27-yard line.

Source: SEC SPORTS

Northern Illinois' English is Nagurski National Player of the Week

DALLAS (FWAA) - Northern Illinois end Larry English has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week for games the weekend of Sept. 22.

English, a 6-3, 254-pound junior from Aurora, Ill., had a school-record five sacks and five quarterback pressures in the Huskies' 42-35 victory at Idaho. He also caused a fumble that he recovered for a touchdown and registered a pass break up. Overall, he had 12 tackles, 10 unassisted and his sacks accounted for 34 yards in losses.

English already is on the 2007 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be presented to the best defensive player in college football on Dec. 3 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C.

Each week during the 2007 season the FWAA All- America Committee will select a national defensive player of the week from nominations made by the 11 Division I Bowl Subdivision Conferences and major independents.

Last season Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis won the coveted Bronko Nagurski Trophy during the 12th season the FWAA has named a Defensive Player of the Year.