Matt Diercks, a senior defensive back on the Gustavus football team, was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week and Don Hansen’s National Quad Defensive Player of the Week and was also named to the d3football.com team of the week. Diercks, a 2000 graduate of Red Wing High School, is the son of Brad and Linda Diercks of Red Wing.
Diercks returned an incerception 100 yards for a touchdown against Augsburg, tying the NCAA record for longest interception return. Diercks picked off an Auggie pass at the goal line midway through the second quarter and ran it all the way back down the sideline. Diercks is the 35th player in NCAA Division III history to accomplish this feat, and the third this season. He also had five pass deflections and four tackles, one of which was for a loss.
Diercks is the second Gustie to receive conference defensive player of the week honors this season. Tyler Vrieze was the conference’s defensive player of the week after the first game of the season. Jake Theis (St. John’s) and Sam Lacy (Bethel) are this week’s MIAC offensive and special teams players of the week.
Joining Diercks as National Quad Defensive Players of the Week are Frank Pilato (Washington and Jefferson), Rob Roche (McDaniel), and Derek Stephens (Millikin). To view all of Don Hansen’s National Players of the week, click here.
Diercks was also named to the d3football.com team of the week. To view the entire team of the week, click here.
Gustavus, 2-2 on the season and 2-1 in the MIAC, returns to action this Saturday by traveling to Collegeville to take on St. John’s. The Johnnies are 3-0 this year, 2-0 in conference play.