UC Davis Defensive-Back Devon King Earns Conference Player Of The Week
Sep 10, 2019, 9:14 AM | Updated: 9:14 am
KING EARNS WEEKLY HONOR FOR HEROICS AT USD
DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis sophomore defensive back Devon King captured a share of the Big Sky ROOT SPORTS Defensive Player of the Week award for September 9, the league office announced Monday morning. This is the first conference weekly award for the human development major from Richmond, California, and the first defensive honor to any Aggie since Mason Moe in late October last season.
King recorded seven tackles and a key interception in Saturday’s 38-35 win at San Diego, but his biggest heroics took place with a mere two seconds remaining in the game. With the host Toreros looking at a 2nd-and-goal on the Aggie 4-yard line, USD quarterback Reid Sinnett hit running back Emilio Martinez with plenty of daylight looking into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
However, King quickly closed the gap and hit Martinez just inches before the crossing the goal-line plane, forcing a fumble into the end zone. King’s teammate in the secondary, Isaiah Thomas, won the ensuing battle for the loose ball, and ultimately recovered the fumble for a game-saving touchback.
His lone interception – his second on the year and fourth in his career – halted a possible USD scoring drive to start the second quarter. He picked off Sinnett’s pass on the Aggie 5-yard line, ending what had been a 66-yard march down the field for the Toreros.
King shared the Defensive Player of the Week award with Montana State’s Bryce Sterk. Weber State’s Josh Davis won the Offensive Player of the Week nod, while Montana’s Jerry Louie-McGee claimed the weekly honor for special teams.
The No. 5/4 UC Davis ended San Diego’s streak of 21 straight home wins. The Aggies to action for their UC Davis Health Stadium home opener on Saturday, taking on Lehigh in a 7 p.m. start.
DON’T MISS OUT: Season and single-game tickets for UC Davis football are now on sale by contacting the Athletics Ticket Office at (530) 752-AGS1 or by visiting us online at tickets.ucdavis.edu.
ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation’s best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO: Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics’ investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful “launch” after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the “World of Work” after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.