Whaley named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week
(AP Photo/LM Otero)
IRVING, Texas - Texas defensive tackle Chris Whaley has been named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday.
The senior provided one of the most important plays in Texas’ 36-20 win over No. 12/10 Oklahoma in Saturday’s AT&T Red River Rivalry. With the game tied 3-3 late in the first quarter, Whaley dropped back on a zone blitz on a third-and-4 play and intercepted a pass from Sooners quarterback Blake Bell, then returned it 31 yards for a touchdown.
It was one of a number of key third down stops during the game as Oklahoma converted just twice on 14 third and fourth down attempts.
The Longhorns (4-2, 3-0) led the rest of the way in defeating Oklahoma for the first time since 2009.
Whaley also had four tackles and was part of a defensive effort that limited Oklahoma to 263 yards of total offense, including just 130 on the ground. It was Oklahoma’s lowest offensive output in the series since 2005 when it was limited to 171 yards.
It’s the first time in Whaley’s career he’s been honored as Big 12 Player of the Week. He is the third Longhorn to earn the award this year. Johnathan Gray was the offensive player of the week and Jackson Jeffcoat shared the defensive award after the Kansas State game.
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