Consider how hard it must be to earn Defensive Player of the Week honors when your team gives up 41 points.
Such is the plight of Tiger linebacker Jamon Hughes, quietly having the finest season of any Memphis player, but part of a defense that has allowed an average of 39 points per game. On Monday, the senior was honored by Conference USA after collecting 21 tackles — the most by a Tiger in 31 years — against Southern Miss last Saturday at the Liberty Bowl. He’s the first Memphis player to earn DPOW honors since Clinton McDonald in September 2008.
Hughes leads C-USA with 86 tackles this season (ranking second in the entire nation), and has led Memphis in tackles every game this season.
