Ritzie Named Outland Trophy National Player Of The Week

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Junior defensive tackle Jahvaree Ritzie, who earned ACC Player of the Week honors on Tuesday, added Outland Trophy National Player of the Week accolades on Wednesday following a three-sack performance in the opener at Minnesota.

The Outland Trophy, which is given annually to the best interior lineman in college football, honors players on a weekly basis for their performance on the field, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

For being named this week's Outland Trophy National Player of the Week, Ritzie will be added to the Outland Trophy watch list going forward.

Ritzie's three sacks in the win over Minnesota were a career high and tied for the third most in a single game by a Carolina defender. He helped lead a Tar Heel defense that held the Golden Gophers to just 78 rushing yards in the game.

Former Tar Heel Jonathan Cooper was a finalist for the Outland Trophy back in 2012.

The Outland Trophy, celebrating 79 years since its founding, is the third-oldest major college football award. Created in 1946 when Dr. John Outland presented the FWAA with a financial contribution to initiate the award, the Outland Trophy has been given to the best interior lineman in college football ever since. Dr. Outland, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, eventually took up practice in Kansas City, Mo. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Outland believed linemen did not get the credit they deserved and wanted an award to recognize them.

The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football's most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.

Carolina hosts Charlotte for its home opener this Saturday, Sept. 7, at 3:30 p.m. on ACC Network.

For up-to-date information on Carolina football, visit GoHeels.com/Football and follow us on Twitter (@UNCFootball), Instagram (@uncfootball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/TarHeelFootball).

Players Mentioned

Jahvaree Ritzie

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