John Hunter Selected As PAC Football Defender of Week
WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson College senior linebacker John Hunter (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) was honored as the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Football Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
Hunter led a defense Saturday in Greenville, Pa., which limited Thiel to 168 total yards during a 17-0 Presidents’ victory. Hunter compiled a team-high eight tackles, 3.5 of which came behind the line of scrimmage for a total loss of 20 yards. He also recorded a pair of sacks and broke up one pass attempt. His first sack came on a fourth-and-goal play to end the Tomcats’ best scoring opportunity of the game.
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker leads the Presidents (3-1, 2-0 PAC) with 29 tackles, 6.5 stops for a loss and 3.0 sacks. He is tied for 93rd in NCAA Division III in tackles for loss per game (1.63) and is 17th among PAC defensive players in total tackles. Hunter’s play has helped Washington & Jefferson rank 22nd nationally in scoring defense (12.8 ppg) and 25th in total defense (244.3 ypg).
In week one at Methodist (N.C.), Hunter’s 63-yard fumble return on the first series of the third quarter changed momentum of the game and W&J scored on the next play for a 17-0 lead which turned into a 23-6 victory over the Monarchs.
Hunter is having a breakout season for the Presidents after entering his senior year with seven career tackles.
The W&J defense will face a test on Saturday night when taking on the Bethany Bison and the PAC’s No. 1 ranked passing (222.0 ypg) and total offense (348.0 ypg).
