BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky University linebacker Jeffrey Canady (pictured) was chosen as the adidas® Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Sunday, the league announced from its Brentwood, Tennessee headquarters.

Canady also picked up Madness Ohio Valley Defensive Player of the Week honors from College Sports Madness.

The Barbourville, Ky., native and his teammates nearly upset the University of Kentucky on Saturday, leading the Wildcats for nearly three quarters of play and trailing by eight with the ball with just over four minutes left in the game.

Canady finished with 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks for a loss of 11 yards against Kentucky. His 1.5 sacks in that game are the most by an OVC player this year against a Power 5 conference opponent.

Canady’s solo sack came on a 3rd-and-8 play on UK’s first possession of the second quarter with Eastern leading 7-3. The Wildcats were forced to punt and the Colonel offense answered with a touchdown to go up 13-3. With UK trying to answer that score and get back in the game, Canady teamed with Luder Jean Louis for another third down sack that forced Kentucky to punt again, keeping momentum in Eastern’s corner.

Through two games this season, both against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams, Canady has 19 total tackles. The redshirt senior ranks fifth in the OVC and 49th nationally with an average of 9.5 tackles per game. Canady is tied for seventh in the league with 0.75 sacks per game.

The Colonels will have a week off of game action before beginning conference play at home on Saturday, Sept. 23 against Tennessee Tech. Kickoff at Roy Kidd Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Photo by Jamie H. Vaught