Sikes Named National Defensive Player of the Week

Sept. 10, 2002

DALLAS (FWAA) – Miami’s junior safety Maurice Sikes won the first Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week Award for his performance in the Hurricanes’ 41-16 victory over Florida Last Saturday.

The Defensive Player of the Week Award is conducted by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the Charlotte Touchdown Club, which plays host to the Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year Banquet on Dec. 9 in Charlotte, N.C.

A three-person FWAA panel selects the winner of the weekly award.

Sikes recorded the game’s key defensive play when he intercepted a Rex Grossman pass at the 3-yard line with Miami ahead, 27-16, in the third quarter. He returned the pickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. It tied for the fourth longest interception return in Big East Conference history and third longest in Hurricane history. Sikes also had a second interception in the fourth quarter and added four tackles and two pass break-ups.