11/20/09- Eric Berry, Jr, Tennessee, 5-11, 203 2009 BRONKO NAGURSKI AWARD FINALIST: No disrespect to the five finalists named Thursday for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which honors the defensive player of the year in college football, but the best defensive player in the SEC this season didn't make the cut. Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain was not among the five finalists, but two SEC players were - Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody and Tennessee safety Eric Berry. The other three finalists were Iowa linebacker Pat Angerer, TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes and Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Berry, has been a huge part of Tennessee's defensive success, although his interception numbers are down from his first two seasons. The Vols are using him more like a linebacker in Monte Kiffin's system, and he leads all SEC defensive backs in tackles per game. - Chris Low, ESPN
11/20/09- P.J. Mahone, Sr, Bowling Green, 5-11, 200 SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Falcons had their best defensive effort of the season against Miami on Nov. 12, limiting the RedHawks to 295 yards of total offense, just 36 yards on the ground, and two touchdowns. PLAYERS TO WATCH: It's not a coincidence that Bowling Green has been better on defense since the return of S P.J. Mahone against Buffalo on Nov. 3. Mahone was suspended for six games, but in the two games since his return he has made 17 tackles. He can defend the pass or move up to clog up the running lanes and is a sure tackler.
11/20/09- Brian Gamble, rSo, Ashland, 6-0, 212 2009 ALL-GLIAC FIRST TEAM: DB Brian Gamble, Ashland, So., has been selected All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team for the 2009 college football season in balloting conducted by the league’s head coaches. Gamble, in his first year at AU, posted 77 tackles (44 solo). He tied for the team lead in interceptions (four). Gamble also forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles, had 5.0 tackles for loss (28 yards) and a sack. He was honored as the GLIAC defensive player of the week once in 2009. Gamble is one of just two sophomores to earn first team all-conference laurels. - Ashland football
11/20/09- Matt Bakker, Jr, Grand Valley State, 6-1, 210 2009 ALL-GLIAC SECOND TEAM: DB Matt Bakker, Grand Valley State, Jr., has been selected All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Second Team for the 2009 college football season in balloting conducted by the league’s head coaches. - Grand Valley State football
11/20/09- Jeremy Jones, So, Wayne State (MI), 5-11, 205 2009 ALL-GLIAC HONORABLE MENTION: Jeremy Jones (So./DB), has been selected All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Honorable Mention for the 2009 college football season in balloting conducted by the league’s head coaches. - GLIAC football
11/20/09- Jacob McGuckin, rSr, Grand Valley State, 6-2, 218 2009 ALL-GLIAC FIRST TEAM: DB Jake McGuckin, Grand Valley State, Sr., has been selected All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team for the 2009 college football season in balloting conducted by the league’s head coaches. - Grand Valley State football
11/20/09- Ron Parker, Jr, Newberry, 6-1, 210 SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Newberry College junior safety Ron Parker was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Parker was second in the conference with 8.3 tackles per game, and also led the league with six interceptions. He returned one interception for a touchdown and forced two fumbles. - SAC football
11/19/09- Jerett Sanderson, Sr, Bowling Green, 6-0, 203 Bowling Green State University coach Dave Clawson considers senior linebacker Jerett Sanderson one of the team’s most consistent players. The Long Beach, N.J., native’s efforts at Miami earned him Mid-American Conference East Division player of the week recognition. Sanderson registered six tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble in BG’s 35-14 victory over Miami. The 6-foot, 203-pounder forced a fumble on the opening play of the game and his interception halted a Miami scoring drive in the red zone. “Not only is he a good speed rusher, he’s an [all-around] football player,” Clawson said. Sanderson is tied for the team lead in tackles with 65, including a team-best 7½ tackles for loss of yardage. - Donald Emmons, The Toledo Blade
11/19/09- Mark Barron, So, Alabama, 6-2, 215 Mark Barron is starting to feel at home in the secondary. No. 2 Alabama’s sophomore free safety is settling into his relatively new position quite nicely after playing offense until his senior year in high school and backing up All-American Rashad Johnson last season. “I feel like I’m a long way from where I used to be,” Barron said. “I feel like I made a lot of improvement. I had ball skills but I wasn’t really a DB. I was like an athlete trying to play DB. “I feel like I’m becoming more of a DB.” He’s still catching passes though, just like in high school. Only now they’re coming from the opposing team’s quarterback. Barron leads the Southeastern Conference and is tied for third nationally with six interceptions, including a pair of diving picks against Mississippi State last weekend. The hard-hitting Barron also ranks second on the Crimson Tide (10-0) with 60 tackles going into Saturday’s game against Chattanooga (6-4). Neither he nor his veteran teammates sound surprised by his rapid rise. “He’s an outstanding athlete,” cornerback Javier Arenas said. “He’s the type of guy you’ve just got to put out there and let him play ball. It’s obvious that was going to happen for him. The plays that he makes, he made them in practice. He’s made them in camp. He made them when he first got here. He’s just carrying on, that’s all that is.” - AP Sports
11/19/09- Reshad Jones, rJr, Georgia, 6-2, 212 Safety Reshad Jones said Wednesday he will seek an evaluation from an NFL advisory committee to gauge his draft stock. The redshirt junior went down to the NFL's deadline day for underclassmen to declare for the draft last January before deciding to return. "The most accurate way of making my decision is sending my (paperwork) in to the NFL advisory board and see what they think and see what prediction they have on me," said Jones, who is second on the Bulldogs with 53 tackles and has two interceptions. "I'll make my decision off that." Jones said when he decided to return that if he was told by the advisory committee that he would go in the first two rounds, he probably would have entered the draft. Asked if it was "50-50" now to stay or go, Jones said "Yeah, I'd say it's 50-50 now until I get my (evaluation) back before I can make a solid decision." - Marc Weiszer, Online Athens
11/18/09- Anthony Kokal, rSo, Miami (OHIO), 6-0, 186 PLAYERS TO WATCH: FS Anthony Kokal tied LB Jerrell Wedge for a team high in tackles against Bowling Green with a career-high 13 stops. Kokal has 99 tackles this season, fifth high among MAC players.
11/16/09- Myles Burnsides, rSr, Northwest Missouri State, 5-11, 195 2009 ALL-MIAA FIRST TEAM: DB: Myles Burnsides, Sr., Northwest Missouri, has been selected All Mid-America Conference First Team for the 2009 college football season. Burnsides, last year’s MIAA and national defensive player of the year, is a first-team selection for the second year in a row. Burnsides’ 56 tackles rank second on the team. He’s one of three Bearcats with four interceptions this year and had a 40-yard return for a touchdown in Northwest’s win against Fort Hays State. - Northwest Missouri football
11/16/09- Aldwin Foster-Retting, Jr, Northwest Missouri State, 6-1, 210 2009 ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTION: Aldwin Foster-Rettig, Northwest Missouri, Jr., DB, has been selected All Mid-America Conference Honorable Mention for the 2009 college football season. - Northwest Missouri football
11/16/09- Jerett Sanderson, Sr, Bowling Green, 6-0, 203 MAC EAST DIVISION WEEK 11 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Bowling Green LB Jerett Sanderson finished with six tackles, one interception and one forced fumble in a 35-14 win at Miami. Sanderson forced a fumble on the opening play of the game, setting up the Falcons first scoring drive. Sanderson also recorded his interception at the Falcons' five-yard line to thwart a potential Miami scoring drive. - MAC football
11/16/09- Jon Amaya, Sr, Nevada, 6-1, 190 WAC WEEK 11 DEFENSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Nevada safety Jonathon Amaya, a senior from Diamond Bar, Calif. (Diamond Bar HS), recorded a team-high eight tackles (5 solo), including one for a loss, and forced a fumble in Nevada's 52-14 win over Fresno State. The forced fumble stopped a Bulldog drive late in the third quarter at Nevada's 10-yard line. Amaya's play during the game helped hold the nation's fifth-best rushing offense to just 112 yards, 138 below their average entering the contest. Also nominated on defense: senior cornerback Kyle Wilson, Boise State; senior linebacker Blaze Soares, Hawai'i; sophomore linebacker Adrien Cole, Louisiana Tech; junior defensive back Davon House, New Mexico State; and junior safety Rajric Coleman, Utah State. - WAC football
11/16/09- Jerico Nelson, So, Arkansas, 5-10, 205 SEC WEEK 11 OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE: LB JERICO NELSON (Arkansas) - Registered game-high 12 total tackles (eight solos), with a tackle for loss and two pass deflections against Troy. - SEC football
11/12/09- P.J. Mahone, Sr, Bowling Green, 5-11, 200 SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Bowling Green is still giving up chunks of yardage on the ground, but the Falcon defense is coming off a strong second-half effort on Nov. 3 against Buffalo. BG is allowing 216.3 yards per game on the ground. Safety P.J. Mahone returned to the lineup against Buffalo on Nov. 3 and led the Falcons with 10 tackles, while blocking one punt and recovering two blocked punts. "I've said this many times, P.J. might be our best defensive player," BG head coach Dave Clawson said. "In the first two games, he played this year, he was outstanding. The six games that he was suspended, we really missed him. "He played really well at Buffalo," Clawson continued. "There was definitely a little bit of rust there, but he made a lot of plays."
11/11/09- Barry Church, Sr, Toledo, 6-1, 219 THIS WEEK'S GAME: Toledo at Central Michigan, Nov. 11, 8:00 PM EST, ESPN2: The Rockets (4-5, 2-3 MAC) are in a must-win situation since with three to play they have to win out to make a strong case for any kind of bowl consideration. This is a tough place to play and the Chips (7-2, 5-0) are the toughest of MAC teams to face, so the Rockets need their best performance of the season. KEYS TO THE GAME: Momentum will be the Rockets' biggest concern in this one as they must avoid letting the powerful Central Michigan machine get a jump and roll over them. Toledo needs to get a defensive performance like it has not seen this season in order to stay in this one against an offense led by the league's best player Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour. PLAYERS TO WATCH: DB Barry Church - The senior and three-year first-team all-MAC pick Church is eighth in the Mid-American Conference with 82 tackles this season, with 7.5 tackles for a loss, one interception and three blocked kicks. He has earned first-team All-MAC honors in each of the last three seasons. Church has been named one of 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the best defensive back in the nation.
11/09/09- DeAndre McDaniel, Jr, Clemson, 6-1, 210 Strong safety DeAndre McDaniel said today he plans to return to Clemson University for his senior season. McDaniel, a junior from Tallahassee, Fla., has intercepted eight passes this season, tying him with Rahim Moore of UCLA for the nation’s lead. “I’ve never really thought about leaving,” he said. “I really want to graduate. I want to be a good role model for my little sister and my little brother and anybody looking up to me.” McDaniel, who would be eligible to enter the NFL Draft after this season, said he also would like to remain with a team on the rise and play for defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and coach Dabo Swinney. “Some people might be afraid to come back and have the same type of season,” he said. “I feel comfortable coming back.” His eighth interception came in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 40-24 win against Florida State. As he returned the ball, McDaniel took on FSU quarterback Christian Ponder near the end zone. Ponder made the tackle at the 5-yard line but sustained a separated right shoulder. He will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. McDaniel said he wasn’t intending to injure Ponder, but he pointed at Ponder as he returned the interception. Essentially, he said, it was a warning. “I didn’t try to hurt him,” he said Monday. “I was just enjoying it. I try to have a good time out there. “I seen the quarterback coming and I pointed it out what was to come,” he said. “I saw some linemen coming. Last time I got caught up by some lineman at Miami it didn’t feel too good, so why not get caught up by the quarterback instead of a lineman?” - Ed McGranahan, Greenville, Online
11/09/09- A.J. Storms, So, Idaho State, 6-0, 215 BIG SKY NOV 9 CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Idaho State linebacker A.J. Storms, a 6-foot, 208-pound sophomore from Meridian, Idaho, tallied 11 tackles – one for loss – and forced a fumble in Idaho State’s near upset of second-ranked Montana. Storms had seven solo tackles. Near the end of the third quarter, Storms stopped UM’s Chase Reynolds in the backfield, forcing a fumble on a fourth-and-1 play from the Idaho State 4-yard line. Idaho State’s defense held Montana to just one touchdown and two field goals. The Grizzlies entered the game averaging 37.1 points per game overall and 41.4 points in conference games. Others Nominated on Defense: Brandon Fisher, LB, Montana, Jordan Craney, S, Montana State, John Eddy, LB, Northern Colorado, Jaycob Shoemaker, LB, Portland State. - Big Sky football
11/09/09- Zach Schrader, Jr, Sacramento State, 6-1, 190 BIG SKY NOV 9 CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sacramento State defensive back Zach Schrader, a 6-1, 195-pound junior from Issaquah, Wash., registered 14 tackles, intercepted a pass and forced a fumble in the Hornets’ 38-35 win over Northern Colorado. He tied his career high in tackles and set a career mark with seven solo stops. He returned his second-quarter interception 24 yards to set up Sacramento State’s final touchdown of the first half. Sacramento State shut out the Bears in the first half, running their string of scoreless quarters to four. Others Nominated on Defense: Brandon Fisher, LB, Montana, Jordan Craney, S, Montana State, John Eddy, LB, Northern Colorado, Jaycob Shoemaker, LB, Portland State. - Big Sky football
11/09/09- Will Harris, rSr, Southern Cal, 6-1, 200 PAC-10 WEEK 10 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: USC safety Will Harris, a senior from Covina, Calif., made the big defensive plays in USC’s 14-9 road win at Arizona State. Harris had two interceptions, returning one of them 55 yards for a touchdown. The other pick came in the end zone on the game’s final play. Harris also posted five tackles, four solo. The Trojan defense forced four ASU turnovers, including three interceptions. Also nominated on defense were linebacker Keaton Kristick of Oregon State, end Ricky Elmore of Arizona and backs Rahim Moore of UCLA and Syd’Quan Thompson of California. - Pac-10 football
11/09/09- Cody Grimm, rSr, Virginia Tech, 5-11, 210 ACC WEEK 10 DEFENSIVE BACK OF THE WEEK: Cody Grimm, Virginia Tech, OLB, took his second Defensive Back of the Week honor after helping the Hokie defensive cause with a game-high 12 tackles, including seven solo stops, and a late-game sack in Virginia Tech’s 16-3 win against East Carolina. Additionally, Grimm forced a fumble that he recovered deep in Pirate territory, and broke up a pass as Virginia Tech limited East Carolina’s offense to just 277 yards. - ACC football
11/09/09- Lorne Bell, rJr, Fresno State, 5-10, 205 WAC WEEK 10 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Fresno State safety Lorne Bell, a junior from Simi Valley, Calif. (Simi Valley HS), had nine tackles (including one for a loss) and led the Bulldog defense that shut out Idaho in the first half. Idaho came into the game with one of the nation's top passing offenses and was held to just 29 yards in the first half and no third down conversions in five attempts. The 21 points allowed in the game were the fewest for Idaho this season. Also nominated on defense: junior safety Jeron Johnson, Boise State; junior defensive back Mana Silva, Hawai'i; and junior defensive end Dontay Moch, Nevada. - WAC football
11/08/09- Max Suter, Jr, Syracuse, 5-11, 190 Syracuse strong safety Max Suter and tight end Cody Catalina will miss the final three games of the 2009 season due to injuries suffered in the contest at Pittsburgh. Suter sustained a left radius fracture, which was surgically repaired on Sunday, Nov. 8 by Dr. Irving Raphael. Catalina sustained a right knee injury and will have surgery in the near future. Raphael will also perform Catalina’s surgery. A two-year starter, Suter is averaging 7.9 tackles per game, which ranks sixth in the BIG EAST and is second on the Orange defense. He also had one sack, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three pas breakups. At Pittsburgh, he posted six tackles before leaving the game in the second quarter with the injury. Catalina, who is in his first year as a tight end after enrolling at Syracuse as a quarterback, had three catches for 20 yards at Pittsburgh, before the knee injury sidelined him in the second quarter. He has 13 receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown, including an active streak of sixth consecutive games with a reception, in 2009. - Syracuse football
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