DALLAS (FWAA) Utah free safety Robert Johnson has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Sept. 15.
Johnson, a 6-3, 185-pound sophomore from Los Angeles, recorded a career-high six tackles (three unassisted), two interceptions, broke up another pass, and forced a UCLA fumble into the end zone for a touchback in Utah's 44-6 victory over UCLA.
His first interception came in the second quarter on Utah's 13-yard line. In the third quarter, Johnson knocked the ball out of UCLA receiver Marcus Everett's hand as he reached for the goal line Johnson intercepted his second pass in the third quarter as the Utes padded their lead.
Johnson will be added to 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.
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.
For more information on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, contact FWAA executive director Steve Richardson (972-713-6198 or tiger@fwaa.com).
2007 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week
Sept. 1: Pig Brown, Missouri
· Sept. 8: Nate Allen, South Florida
· Sept. 15: Robert Johnson, Utah
· Sept. 22: Larry English, Northern Illinois
· Sept. 29: Ben Moffitt, South Florida
· Oct. 6: Eric Norwood, South Carolina
· Oct. 13: Mike Humpal, Iowa
· Oct. 20: D.J. Moore, Vanderbilt
· Oct. 27: Terrence Wheatley, Colorado
· Nov. 3: James Laurinaitis, Ohio State