Hayden named ECAC South Region Defensive Player of the Year
Posted: Dec 06, 2016

Hayden named ECAC South Region Defensive Player of the Year

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

DANBURY, Conn. (Dec. 6) - Bethany College senior linebacker Donavan Hayden (Hyattsville, Md./Northwestern) was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III South Region Defensive Player of the Year announced the conference office Tuesday afternoon.

In addition to being named to the ECAC South Region First Team, Hayden was also named to the D3Football.com All-South Region First Team, announced that organization late Monday night.

Hayden, the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Defensive Player of the Year, led the PAC and ended the regular-season ranked second in all of NCAA Division III with 142 tackles (14.2 tackles per game), including 82 solo tackles. His 20 tackles for loss led the league and ranked him 10th in Division III and the three-time PAC Defensive Player of the Week also led the conference and tied for eighth nationally with four forced fumbles at season's end.

 

The Maryland native became Bethany's all-time leader with 360 career tackles and his 142 tackles in 2016 was the third-highest single-season total by a Bison in school history.

 

Hayden is the first ECAC Defensive Player of the Year selection since 2014, when former Bison defensive lineman Nadim Raddar was selected as the co-defensive player of the year by the organization.

 

Hayden becomes the first Bison since linebacker Tim Goetz in 2005 to be named to the D3Football.com First-Team South Region, and first selection since Raddar and wide receiver Eric Blinn were named to the second and third teams, respectively, in 2014. He is now eligible for D3Football.com All-America consideration with his selection to the south region team.