East Michigan News

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced its first weekly awards for the 2024 football season on September 2. Eastern Michigan University linebacker James Djonkam was named MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Djonkam played a key role in Eastern Michigan's victory over the University of Massachusetts, with a final score of 28-14 on August 31.

Djonkam, who transferred from Arizona State, led his team with 13 tackles, including three solo stops. He also contributed one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss (TFLs). His tackle count ranks as the fifth-highest in the nation this year and is the most by any player in the MAC. He was among five Eastern players to record at least part of one sack during the game, helping EMU achieve six sacks overall.

Sharing this week's defensive honor with Shaun Dolac from the University at Buffalo, Djonkam's performance nearly doubled his previous career-best of seven tackles recorded on September 30, 2023, while playing for Arizona State against the University of California. He also set a new personal best for TFLs against UMass.

Looking ahead, Djonkam and his team will face the University of Washington Huskies on September 7 in Seattle. The game will start at 12:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network and WEMU (89.1 FM).

For Week 1 of September 2, other MAC Players of the Week include Ethan Hampton from Northern Illinois for offense and Justin Pegues from Bowling Green for special teams.