Dexter McDonald Tabbed Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas senior cornerback Dexter McDonald was named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week Monday following his standout performance in the Jayhawks’ season-opening win over Southeast Missouri State.
 
McDonald, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, led the Kansas defense with the first multiple interception game of his career. He first picked off SEMO quarterback Kyle Snyder in the end zone and returned it 62 yards to keep the Redhawks scoreless in the first half. He then grabbed a second interception off of Snyder five minutes into the third quarter, returning it 10 yards. Additionally, McDonald was credited with two solo tackles and two pass breakups, giving him four passes defended in the game.
 
McDonald is the first Kansas player to be honored by the Big 12 Conference in its weekly awards since running back James Sims picked up the weekly offensive award on Nov. 18. He is the first Jayhawk to pick up the conference’s defensive honor since Justin Springer was tabbed for the weekly award on Sept. 11, 2010.
 
Additionally, McDonald was tabbed an honorable mention defensive back of the week by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA), while his teammate Trevor Pardula was honored by the CFPA as an honorable mention punter of the week. The CFPA are based on objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.
 
McDonald and his KU teammates will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 13 when the Jayhawks travel to Duke for a 2:30 p.m. (CT), game at Wallace Wade Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on the ACC Regional Sports Network, including FOX Sports Midwest locally.
 
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