MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama safety Jeremy Reaves added on another honor this season as he was named the Sun Belt Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the league office Monday. Reaves earned the honor along with Arkansas State's Ja'Von Rolland-Jones.
Reaves shared team-high honors with eight total stops in Saturday's 33-23 victory over ULM, and he had a hand in both USA takeaways that ended their first and last possessions of the contest. The Warhawks advanced to the USA-1 on their opening drive and was poised to tie the game when Reaves picked up a fumble and returned it 92 yards, setting up a touchdown and 14-0 lead instead on the Jags' ensuing snap.
With South up 10 points in the fourth quarter, the senior picked off a pass at the USA-33, allowing the Jaguars to run out the final six minutes of play and clinch the win. Reaves is now the sole leader on South's career interception list and the pick was his seventh since the start of the 2014 campaign, while the fumble return was the longest in school history.
The weekly league accolade is the first of the career for the 5-foot-11, 205-pound senior. Reaves has already been named as a candidate for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award® and to the Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List during the season. The Pensacola, Fla., native also earned preseason first-team all-SBC honors from the league coaches and was named to both the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award and Broko Nagurski Trophy Watch Lists, as well as preseason first-team all-conference accolades by five different publications during the offseason.
Reaves currently leads South with 51 total tackles, five stops behind the line of scrimmage, and his six passes defensed are also tied with Darian Mills for the team lead. He also ranks among the Sun Belt leaders in passes defended (T- third), forced fumbles (T- third), fumbles recovered (T-third), tackles (T-10th) and tackles for loss (T-18th).
Entering the Jaguars' match-up with Georgia State later this week, Reaves stands fourth in school history with 248 stops and is among the top 10 in program history with 18½ tackles behind the line. He is also USA's all-time leader with 20 passes broken up and eight forced fumbles.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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