NEW JERSEY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
FOOTBALL

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

FALL 2007
WEEK ENDING 11/17/07

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK  

Ryan McCoach, Montclair State University
Senior, Running Back
Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills

McCoach earns the final NJAC Offensive Player of the Week selection, his second of the season, after garnering Most Valuable Player honors in Montclair’s 17-13 win over Albright in the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl. In the final game of his career, he rushed 35 times for 140 yards and a touchdown. He finished his senior season with 1,005 rushing yards, marking the second straight season that he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark while increasing his career rushing total to 2,802 - good for fifth all-time in MSU history. McCoach currently leads the NJAC in rushing with an average of 111.7 yards per game.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK  

Ben Nagle, SUNY Cortland
Junior, Defensive End
Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute

Nagle earns the final NJAC Defensive Player of the Week selection after garnering Most Valuable Player honors in Cortland’s 23-7 win over Union in the ECAC Northeast Bowl. In the win, he recorded nine total tackles, including six solo stops. He also notched 5.5 tackles for a loss of 26 yards, including four sacks for a loss of 24. Three of his sacks forced Union fumbles which were recovered by the Red Dragons. Nagle currently ranks third in the NJAC in sacks with an average of 0.82 per game.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK  

Jeremy Mercer, Montclair State University
Junior, Tight End
Leonardo, NJ/Middletown South

Mercer earns the final NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week honor after playing a key role in the Red Hawks’ 17-13 win over Albright in the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl. In the victory, he blocked two kicks, giving him an MSU record of 10 blocked kicks on the season. He blocked a punt early in the game to break the single-season record and later recorded his seventh blocked extra point of the season. Mercer also recorded two special teams tackles on kickoffs in the victory.

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK  

Michael Yetka, The College of New Jersey
Freshman, Running Back
Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel

Yetka earns the final NJAC Offensive Rookie of the Week selection after helping to propel the Lions to a 17-14 road win at Rensselaer in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. After entering the game with only one reception on the season, he recorded six catches for 34 yards in the win. With the victory, Yetka and the Lions advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament where they will travel to face two-time defending national champion Mount Union on November 24.

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK  

Brian Haas, SUNY Cortland
Freshman, Linebacker
East Aurora, NY/St. Francis

Haas earns the final NJAC Defensive Rookie of the Week selection, his sixth of the season, after propelling the Red Dragons to a 23-7 win over Union in the ECAC Northeast Bowl. In the victory, he recorded 13 total tackles, including five solo stops, while adding two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. He wrapped up his freshman season with 105 tackles, becoming the first Red Dragon player to record 100 or more stops since 1995, and the first Cortland freshman to reach the plateau since 1979. Haas currently ranks second in the NJAC in tackles with an average of 9.5 per game.

PREVIOUS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - FALL 2007

  Offensive
 Player
Defensive
Player
Special Teams
Player
Offensive
Rookie
Defensive
Rookie

Week 1

Greg Meyer
Buffalo State
Joe King
TCNJ
Jon Robinson
Kean
Mark Lisa
Rowan
Leer Biddle
William Paterson

Week 2

*Andrew Giuliano
Cortland
Cornell Hunt
Montclair State
Matthew Mintz
Cortland
Cory Russell
Cortland
Chris Lauda
Kean

Week 3

*Joel Rivera
William Paterson
Cornell Hunt
Montclair State
Marco Capozzoli
Montclair State
Wayne Neal
Western Connecticut
Leer Biddle
William Paterson

Week 4

*Ray Miles
Cortland
Joe King
TCNJ
Jeff Bliss
Montclair State
Tim Hagerty
Rowan
Brian Haas
Cortland

Week 5

*Rob Richardson
Rowan
*Jermaine Rose
Buffalo State
Matt Dalessio
TCNJ
Wayne Neal
Western Connecticut
Brian Haas
Cortland

Week 6

*A.J. Letizia
Montclair State
*Joe King
TCNJ
Matthew Mintz
Cortland
Wayne Neal
Western Connecticut
Brian Haas
Cortland

Week 7

Ray Miles
Cortland
*Brian Burd
William Paterson
Chris Pollard
Rowan
Tim Hagerty
Rowan
Chris Lauda
Kean

Week 8

Chris James
TCNJ
Clarence Goodman
Kean
Matthew Mintz
Cortland
Wayne Neal
Western Connecticut
Brian Haas
Cortland

Week 9

*Michael Jump
Montclair State
*Dave Fontoura
TCNJ
Ricky Krautman
William Paterson
Wayne Neal
Western Connecticut
Jordan Cagle
Kean

Week 10

*Ryan McCoach
Montclair State
*Jared Burke
William Paterson
Zach Rinaldi
TCNJ
Sean Atkins
Kean
Brian Haas
Cortland

Week 11

*A.J. Roque
Kean
*Frank Musolino
William Paterson
Jim Hamill
William Paterson
Keith Rosedom
Western Connecticut
Mario McLean
Montclair State

Week 12

Ryan McCoach
Montclair State
Ben Nagle
Cortland
Jeremy Mercer
Montclair State
Michael Yetka
TCNJ
Brian Haas
Cortland

* Indicates ECAC Player of the Week selection as well