Clayborn Recognized for Defensive Play at Michigan State

Oct. 25, 2009

IOWA CITY, Iowa – – University of Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn has been named Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week. He becomes the seventh Hawkeye to be named Big Ten Player of the Week this season. He shared this week’s defensive honor with defensive end Thaddeus Gibson of Ohio State.

Clayborn is a 6-3, 282-pound junior from St. Louis. MO. It’s the second time this season he has won league honors. He was also named Special Teams Player of the Week after he blocked a punt and took it in for a touchdown against Penn State on Sept. 26th. In Iowa’s most recent 15-13 win at Michigan State, Clayborn had four tackles, two sacks for a minus 19 yards and three tackles for losses totaling 21 yards. He also forced a fumble.

It’s the sixth week out of eight; at least one Iowa player has been picked by the Big Ten as a Player of the Week. In addition to Clayborn getting special team honors against Penn State, linebacker Pat Angerer won defensive honors in that same game. Punter Ryan Donahue shared the special team honors against Arizona while linebacker Jeremiha Hunter won co-special team honors after the Northern Iowa game. Defensive back Tyler Sash won co-defensive honors after Iowa’s win at Iowa State and tight end Tony Moeaki won offensive award following Iowa’s win over Michigan.

Iowa had eight Big Ten Players of the Week during the 1997 and 2002 seasons. The Hawkeyes have had seven this season and also during the 2003 and 2008 campaigns.

The nationally ranked Hawkeyes (seventh by the AP and eighth in the USA Today Coaches Poll) are 8-0 and host Indiana Saturday at 11 a.m. The game will be shown on ESPN.