University of Delaware Athletics
Delaware RB Thomas Jefferson Named CAA Rookie of the Week....Again
10/8/2015 5:32:00 PM | Football
RICHMOND, Va. -- For the second straight week, University of Delaware redshirt freshman running back Thomas Jefferson is the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week.
Jefferson, a 6-2, 215 lb. criminal justice major from Prospect Park, N.J. (Passaic Tech), had yet another career day last week as the Blue Hens knocked off No. 25 William & Mary 24-23 on a last-second field goal on Oct. 3 at Delaware Stadium.
Jefferson's tough running played a big part in the Delaware victory as he became the first Delaware rookie to win CAA honors in back-to-back weeks since running back Andrew Pierce in 2010.
Coming off a 163-yard effort vs. North Carolina on Sept. 26, Jefferson surpassed the 100-yard plateau again as he ran a career-high 28 times for 174 yards. Delaware piled up a season-high 418 total yards, including a season-high 347 on the ground against a William & Mary team that entered the game ranked first in the CAA and eighth in the country in rushing defense at 87.7 yards per game.
Jefferson's 337 yards over the last two games ranks tied for the ninth highest back-to-back rushing yardage performances in school history (record is 390 by Omar Cuff vs. Delaware State and Northern Iowa in 2007) and establishes a Delaware record for most rushing yards gained in a player's first two career starts.
Pierce holds the UD record for most rushing yards in his first three starts with a total of 484 vs. West Chester, South Dakota State, and Duquesne in 2010. Jefferson would need 147 Saturday vs. Rhode Island to tie that mark.
Also honored by the CAA this week were Co-Offensive Players of the Week Dalton Crossan of New Hampshire and Kyle Lauletta of Richmond; Defensive Player of the Week Gage Steele of James Madison; and Special Teams Player of the Week Harold Cooper of Rhode Island.
Delaware (2-3, 1-1 CAA) will continue action this Saturday as the Blue Hens head to Rhode Island (0-5, 0-2 CAA) for a 12 noon kickoff in Kingston, R.I.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Scott Selheimer | selheime@udel.edu | Office: 302-831-8007 | Cell: 302-562-5129
