Tulane's Breakout Star Linebacker Earns AAC Defensive Player of the Week Honors
Coming into this past weekend, Tulane knew what they had to do.
With a spot in the AAC championship game and their College Football Playoff hopes on the line, the Green Wave could secure their spot in the postseason by beating Navy.
As one of the hottest and best teams at the Group of 5 level, this was a contest Tulane should have won, but whenever teams face a service academy that employs an offense that is hard to gameplan for without tons of prep time, those matchups can always be tricky.
That wasn't the case on Saturday, though, with the Green Wave making a statement, 35-0, victory over the Midshipmen.
This secured their place in the AAC championship game where they will face Army in what is likely a CFP eliminator after Boise State was able to keep their own playoff hopes alive with a come-from-behind win.
Tulane was dominant on defense, holding Navy to just 113 total yards and 100 on the ground.
Because of that showing, their star linebacker, Sam Howard, was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Week after he recorded four tackles, three of them solo, while also intercepting a pass and recovering a fumble.
Earned. 💪#UptownFootball x @SamuelH537 pic.twitter.com/mQ6IMOefPh
— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) November 18, 2024
The junior transferred in from Austin Peay this offseason after spending three years there where he totaled 114 tackles and a sack.
While he's not close to putting up the ridiculous 100-plus tackle milestone he had during his final season with Austin Peay, Howard has still racked up 37 tackles and 1.5 sacks for Tulane, while also leading the country with five fumble recoveries.
Viewed as a three-star talent in the transfer portal, he has become force on this Green Wave defense.
This honor also kept a streak going for Tulane with this being the fifth straight week that Tulane has had a player recognized by the league office this season, while also being the third Defensive Player of the Week winner.
