Just one day after Clemson Tigers’ true freshman linebacker Sammy Brown achieved a historic feat no other defensive player had accomplished in the program’s history, he earned his third award for his standout performance in Week 11 against Virginia Tech.
The Maxwell Football Club honored Brown with the Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Week award after he helped lead the Tigers (7-2, 6-1 ACC) to a 24-14 victory over Virginia Tech last Saturday.
This award recognizes exceptional play across offense, defense, or special teams and is named after NFL running back Shaun Alexander, who played at Alabama. In 2018, former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence won the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award.
On Monday, Brown made history as the first Clemson defensive player to win multiple ACC honors in the same week, being named both the ACC Linebacker of the Week and Rookie of the Week.
Brown made his first career start for Clemson in Saturday’s game after playing in a rotational role during the first eight games of the season.
He led the team with eight tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. His eight tackles were just one shy of his career high of nine, marking the third time this season he has recorded eight or more tackles in a game.
Brown now has nine tackles for loss on the season, and with one more, he will become the seventh true freshman in Clemson history to record 10 or more tackles for loss in a single season.
His sack in the third quarter was his fourth of the year, tying him for the fourth-most sacks by a true freshman in Clemson history.
The Tigers are now preparing to face Pitt in their final ACC game of the season.
With Brown in the starting lineup, the Tigers’ defense shut down the Hokies’ running game, limiting them to just 1.9 yards per carry and a total of 40 rushing yards.
To date, Brown has 34 tackles, including 24 solo stops, and has defended two passes.
Recruited out of Jefferson High School in Commerce, Ga., as a five-star prospect, Brown was a consensus top 30 player nationally. He was named the nation’s top all-around athlete by MaxPreps, recognized for his success in football, wrestling, and track, joining a list of athletes that includes Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, and Derrick Henry.
In high school, he earned the 2023 High School Butkus Award, given annually to the top high school linebacker in the country, and was named the USA Today HSSA National Defensive Football Player of the Year. He was also honored as Mr. Football in Georgia.
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