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Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman Wins National Award

The Sooners' junior linebacker nearly tied his career high with 17 tackles and was all over the field against SMU.

John E. Hoover

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Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman took home a national award on Sunday.

Stutsman, a junior from Windermere, FL, was named Walter Camp FBS National Defensive Player of the Week after his performance in the Sooners' 28-11 win over SMU on Saturday night in Norman.

Stutsman recorded 17 tackles (one short of his career high), 2 1/2 tackles for loss, a quarterback sack, a QB hurry and a fumble recovery as the Sooners outlasted the Mustangs. 

Stutsman's play at weakside linebacker spearheaded an OU defensive effort that held SMU to 367 yards and just 4.6 yards per play and a combined 6-of-20 on third and fourth downs conversions.

Stutsman was named honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference last year when he led the league and ranked third nationally with 125 tackles.

Stutsman is the first OU defensive player-of-the-week honoree since linebacker Kenneth Murray received the award in 2018 following his school-record 28 tackles against Army. It's the 11th time since 2004 an OU player has earned Walter Camp National Player of the Week honors.

No. 18 Oklahoma (2-0) travels Tulsa on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. to close non-conference play. The game will be televised by ESPN2.

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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