Eastern Michigan Athletics
Downard Named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week
10/8/2007 1:22:39 PM | Football
Lima, Ohio native earns first career conference accolade
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Eastern Michigan University redshirt freshman Ryan Downard (Lima, Ohio-Shawnee) has been selected as this week’s Mid-American Conference West Division Defensive Player of the Week, as announced by the conference office today. The award is the first of his career.
Downard turned in a complete all-around game as one of the starting safeties in a close, 33-22 non-conference loss at Michigan Saturday, Oct. 6. He intercepted a pass in the end zone to stop a potential Michigan touchdown. He also ran back a blocked PAT kick for 97 yards and two points, the first-ever defensive score in history against the Wolverines. That defensive score was the third ever in EMU history.
Downard has made the most of his chance to start this season, recording four interceptions in four games as a starter. He was called on to fill in for the injured Chris May after the Ball State game (Sept. 8) and turned in his first interception in his second game as a starter, against Howard University (Sept. 22). He then came up with two picks at Vanderbilt (Sept. 29) and recorded an interception in the end zone to stop a potential Michigan touchdown in last weekend’s loss in Ann Arbor (Oct. 6).
Downard is currently tied for 10th in the NCAA rankings at .67 per game.
Eastern returns to Mid-American Conference play Saturday, Oct. 13, traveling to Athens, Ohio for a cross-divisional battle against Ohio University. Kick off is set for noon with television coverage on ESPN+ and WXYZ ABC 7 in the Detroit area.
