IU football defensive back D’Angelo Ponds earns Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors

IU football defensive back D’Angelo Ponds earned Big Ten honors on Monday, being named the Defensive Player of the Week for his play against Washington.

Ponds had two interceptions, including one that he returned for a touchdown. He also added five tackles.

IU football improved to 8-0 and remain at No. 13 overall in the AP Top 25 rankings.

Below is the full release from the league.

ROSEMONT, Ill. – With his first-career multi-interception game versus Washington, sophomore defensive back D’Angelo Ponds earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week from the conference office on Monday (Oct. 28).

Ponds grabbed a pair of first half interceptions against the Huskies, with his first Hoosier interception going 67 yards the other way for the game’s opening touchdown. It was his first career pick-6 – college or high school – and is the longest defensive touchdown scored by an IU player since Jameel Cook Jr. took one for 96 yards against FIU in 2015.

His second interception came in the second quarter and set up Indiana’s second scoring drive of the game. The two interceptions versus Washington mark the first multi-interception game by a Hoosier in Big Ten play since Jamar Johnson at Ohio State (2; 2020).

He was the highest-graded defensive back in the Power 4 during Week 9 (93.5) per Pro Football Focus. His four-career interception are tied for No. 2 among active FBS true sophomores.

He is the sixth Indiana defensive back to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week since the awards began in 1987 and the first since Johnson in 2020 versus Penn State. Others include Brian Dewitz (1987), Mike Dumas (1989), Curtis Randle El (1998), Herana-Daze Jones (2004) and Johnson.

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