University of Richmond Athletics
David Jones Named CAA Defensive Player Of The Week
RICHMOND, Va. – League officials have announced this morning that University of Richmond DB David Jones has been named CAA Defensive Player of the Week following a record-setting performance opposite Albany over the weekend.
The redshirt-junior collected four interceptions in the 38-31 victory and added a fumble recovery. He came into the game with three picks so far this season that were already tied for the CAA lead. He added five tackles to cap off his historic effort. He is the first player in Richmond football history to collect four picks in a game and just the fourth player in CAA history to do so. The last CAA player to collect four picks in a game was Rhode Island’s Kevin Smith who did so in October of 1988.
Jones’ seven picks through just eight games are already the second highest single-season total in Richmond football history. He is tied with Justin Rogers who nabbed seven in 2008, the National Championship season, Taylor Lackey who did so in 1985 and Jeff Nixon who did it in 1978. Nixon holds the single-season record of eight, which he set in 1976. Jones will have at least three more games this season to try and match the record.
With 10 interceptions now in his career, Jones moves into a tie for eighth all-time in the Richmond record books with Patrick Weldon, Bob Leprete and Ray Easterling. Jeff Nixon is the all-time Richmond leader with 23 followed by Scott Burton (16) and three others all tied at 12.
The St. Petersburg, Fla. native is the first CAA Defensive Player of the Week for the Spiders this season and third Player of the Week overall. QB Kyle Lauletta earned Offensive Player of the Week honors earlier this season and was joined by RB Jacobi Green who accomplished the feet last week following the win at JMU.
After a brief visit home Richmond will head back out of the road for a pair of crucial road games opposite New Hampshire (4-4, 2-3 CAA) and Villanova (3-4, 2-2 CAA), two squads picked ahead of the Spiders in the preseason, respectively. In fact, all three of the Spiders remaining regular season contests are against programs picked ahead of them in the preseason pecking order. The game at New Hampshire is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. on the NBC Sports Network.
The regular season will conclude on Nov. 21 at Robins Stadium when Richmond welcomes rival William & Mary (6-2, 4-1 CAA) for the 125th battle for the Capital Cup at Noon. The two programs make up “The Oldest Rivarly in the South” and the game will serve as a celebration of the rivalry and could determine the 2015 CAA Championship.