SEWARD, Neb. – Another monster effort in a grinder of a win at Jamestown led to sophomore Lane Napier being named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Defensive Player of the Week, as announced on Monday (Sept. 17). Napier has earned the honor for the second time in his young collegiate career.
A native of David City, Neb., Napier racked up a career high 21 tackles last week in a game that forced the defense to shoulder a heavy load. The Aquinas High School product also made 2.5 stops for loss, including a sack, at Jamestown. Napier has already accumulated 30 tackles this season a year after leading the GPAC during the regular season with 97 tackles as a freshman in 2017. With 127 career tackles, Napier is on a fast track to putting himself in the same territory as the program’s top run stuffers.
The school’s GPAC era record for most tackles is 290 by Sean Stewart (1999-2002), an All-American safety who helped Concordia to a GPAC title and playoff berth in 2001. Michael Hedlund’s 261 career tackles are the most by a Bulldog linebacker since the GPAC began in 2000. During that time frame, Erik DeHaven’s 110 tackles in 2001 ranks atop the program list.
Napier and the Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0 GPAC) are set to host Midland (2-1, 0-1 GPAC) this Saturday for homecoming on the Concordia campus. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT.