Tyler Johnson Tabbed Pac-12 D-Lineman of the Week
SAN FRANCISCO, – Sun Devil Football defensive lineman Tyler Johnson has been named the Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week, the conference announced Monday morning.
In Arizona State's impressive 28-10 victory over Stanford, Johnson was virtually unblockable, wreaking havoc in the opposing backfield. It is the second straight week Arizona State has won a player of the week award and second time a Sun Devil defensive lineman has taken home the top honor in the conference this season (D.J. Davidson, Sept. 7).
After collecting four Player of the Week awards a season ago despite playing in only four games, Sun Devil Football continues to add to their trophy case under Head Coach Herm Edwards. Since he arrived in Tempe prior to the 2018 season, Arizona State has had an incredible 28 Pac-12 Player of the Week selections, fourth-most in the conference. Since 1983, Sun Devils have won a total of 141 Pac-10/12 Player of the Week Honors.
For Johnson, it is the second time he has received the Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week honors, previously winning it on Dec. 7, 2020 after a 4.5 tackle for loss, three-sack performance against UCLA. In addition to the conference honors, Johnson was also named the National Defensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Tyler Johnson – Defensive Lineman of the Week
Despite going up against two of the best tackles in the conference, Johnson was productive, frequently penetrating into the backfield. He finished with five total tackles (four solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks in a dominant effort. Johnson was also credited with a key forced fumble, the third of his career, as he punched the ball out to force a turnover while Stanford was driving. The defensive line unit, led by Johnson, was a big reason why ASU held the Cardinal to just 13 yards rushing.
During the victory, he eclipsed the 25 tackles for loss milestone in style, now boasting 26.5 in his career. Johnson now has three games in his career with multiple sacks. He sits just 4.5 sacks shy of a spot in the Top-10 in program history in the category. Johnson was the 7th-highest graded defender in Pac-12 overall according to PFF and the 2nd-best among edge defenders (77.8). His 6 QB pressures were the most in the Pac-12 for the week (14th in FBS). Johnson managed to force a pressure on 18.8 percent of his snaps, most in the Pac-12 (18th in FBS).
The Sun Devils return to action on Saturday, Oct. 16th at 7 pm when they travel to Salt Lake City to take on Utah on ESPN. Dave Fleming, Rod Gilmore, and Stormy Buonantony are on the call. You can also listen to the game on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.