JONESBORO (10/4/10) – The Sun Belt Conference has named Arkansas State linebacker Javon McKinnon (Memphis, Tenn.) as its Defensive Player of the Week after the senior recorded a career-high 16 tackles, including a career-best two tackles for loss, Saturday against Louisville.

McKinnon’s 16 tackles were the most by a Sun Belt Conference player since the 2008 season, the most by an ASU player since former SBC Defensive Player of the Year Tyrell Johnson posted 25 against North Texas in 2005 and tied the 14th most in the nation this year. His 16 stops were just four shy of the seventh most in school history. Ten of McKinnon’s 16 tackles came in the second half, helping allow A-State pull within 31-24 of Louisville after trailing 31-7 at halftime.

McKinnon has posted double-figure tackles in each of the last two games to climb to a tie for third in the stat in the Sun Belt Conference with 9.2 tackles per game. He's tied for 47th in the nation in tackles and has a team-high 46 (28 solo, 18 assisted) stops.

The Red Wolves have had three players earn one of the Sun Belt Conference’s weekly honors four times. Sophomore quarterback Ryan Aplin has been named the league’s offensive player of the week twice and senior safety M.D. Jennings has been recognized as the defensive player of the week once.

The Red Wolves return to Sun Belt Conference action this week, facing North Texas in Denton on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. ASU’s next
home game is scheduled for Oct. 23 at noon against Florida Atlantic. Red Zone 4-Pack ticket packages, season tickets and individual tickets for ASU's home football games remain on sale at the ASU Ticket Office. For more information, contact the ASU Ticket Office at 870-972-ASU1 or the Red Wolf Club at 870-972-2401. Ticket information can also be found online at AStateRedWolves.com.