KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Carson-Newman defensive end Trayzel Jureidini-Wyche completed the awards trifect Tuesday afternoon by being named the D2Football.com National Defensive Player of the Week. He adds that honor to SAC and TSWA Defensive Player of the Week awards.
Jureidini-Wyche is the second Eagle to earn national player of the week honors this season, joining linebacker Rondrow Peebles (Knoxville, Tenn.), who was recognized after the Eagles opening day win over West Florida for his 12-tackle, 3.5 tackle for loss, 1.5 sack day agains the Argos.
Wyche led Carson-Newman's defense in its dominant 49-13 senior day win over Tusculum with eight tackles, 4.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.
He helped Carson-Newman hold an opponent to negative yards rushing for the seventh time in school history. The Pioneers backed up 35 yards on 30 carries for the third fewest rushing yards against Carson-Newman by a C-N opponent in school history.
Wyche himself inserted his name into the record books. The 5.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks are both good enough for third all-time in C-N's all-time single game annals for both stats.
His 4.5 sacks are the third highest single-game total in NCAA Division II this year, while the 5.5 tackles for loss are the sixth highest single-game total in Division II.
Wyche has eight sacks on the year, the 12th-highest single-season total in school history.
Wyche becomes Carson-Newman's seventh all-time national player of the week selection, and the fourth associated with the defense.
Damian Baker and Justin Long earned national offensive player of the week honors for a 249 yard day against Mars Hill that year, while Long was special teams player of the week after blocking two kicks against Newberry.
Mario Russell earned national defensive player of the week honors from the organization on Sept. 30, 2009 after Russell tied a NCAA Division II record with four forced fumbles in a 23-20 win over Newberry. He also had eight tackles and five pass breakups.
Deonte Bolden was the Eagles other national defensive player of the week, honored Oct. 13, 2003, following a school record four interceptions in a 35-18 win for the Eagles over Newberry. Buck Wakefield is Carson-Newman's other honoree, earning offensive player of the week honors after breaking the school's rushing record with a 303 yard day on only 19 carries and leading the Eagles to a 45-7 win over Wingate in 2009.
The sophomore pass rush specialist and the rest of the Eagles will be in action in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs at No. 11 Bowie State Saturday at 1 p.m. Pregame coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at noon with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
