Jordan Poyer Named Week 6 Jim Thorpe Defensive Back of the Week
CLEVELAND, Ohio – After recording three interceptions for Oregon State in their 19-6 win over Washington State, senior cornerback Jordan Poyer (Astoria, Ore.) has been named the Jim Thorpe Defensive Back of the Week.
Poyer’s three interceptions were the most by an Oregon State player in nearly a decade and his final interception sealed the win for the Beavers. With Washington State driving in Beaver territory late in the fourth quarter, Poyer intercepted a Cougar pass and returned it 50 yards that allowed Oregon State to run out the clock. He also added four tackles including one for a loss.
Poyer was a member of the 2012 Jim Thorpe Preseason Watch List released this past summer after a sensational junior season that saw him receive second-team All-Pac-12 honors.
Honorable Mention Players for Week Six:
Matt Elam, Florida, Junior Safety – Elam’s forced fumble late in the third quarter after a 56-yard reception changed the momentum of the game and helped Florida to a 14-6 win over LSU. He also tallied a team-high seven solo tackles with one for a two-yard loss.
Kameron Jackson, California, Sophomore Cornerback - Jackson, came off the bench in the first quarter and finished with three interceptions to go along with four tackles and a pass breakup in California’s 43-17 upset win over No. 25 UCLA. Jackson’s first career interception came in the Cal end zone in the final minute of the first half and preserved 16-7 margin at the break. He added two picks in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Walt Canty, Duke, Senior Safety – Canty had a season-high 14 tackles, including a career-high three tackles for loss, and one quarterback pressure in Duke’s 42-17 win over Virginia. With Duke nursing a 21-17 advantage early in the third period, Canty made three tackles in a four-play span that helped turn the momentum of the game.
Phillip Thomas, Fresno State, Senior Safety – Thomas registered a team-high eight tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one interception in Fresno State’s 28-7 win over Colorado State. His sack in the first quarter forced a fumble and gave Fresno State the ball on the CSU 29-yard line and led to the Bulldogs’ first touchdown. In the second half with the Bulldogs up 14-0, Thomas stopped a Ram running back short of a first down on fourth-and-two, giving the Bulldogs the ball in CSU territory and leading to another Fresno State touchdown. On CSU’s next possession, Thomas intercepted a pass, which led to Fresno State’s fourth touchdown of the game. Thomas currently leads the nation in interceptions with six.
About the Jim Thorpe Award:
The Thorpe Award is named after history’s greatest athlete, Jim Thorpe, and is presented by the Jim Thorpe Association in Oklahoma City. Thorpe excelled at every sport in which he competed, including football at which he played on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The 2012 Olympics mark the 100-year anniversary of Thorpe winning gold in the decathlon and pentathlon at the Stockholm Olympics.
The candidates for the award are selected by a “screening committee” of Jim Thorpe Association members who follow several players throughout the season, watching games and researching information sources to grade Thorpe Award candidates on the basis of performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The committee then narrows the field to three finalists and the names of these finalists are submitted to a national panel of about 50 sports writers, sportscasters, coaches and former players who vote to determine the winner.
The Thorpe Award winner is selected from three finalists and will be announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 6, 2012 on ESPN.
The Jim Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official website, www.NCFAA.org.
Each week, Phil Steele will be overlooking the candidates issued by the school, the conference and distinguished committee members. After including his own personal input, the winner will be announced every Wednesday at jimthorpeassoc.org and PhilSteele.com.
