Sept. 28, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame junior Tyler Eifert was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission Wednesday. Other candidates considered for this week’s award included Orson Charles of Georgia and Evan Rodriguez of Temple.
Eifert registered a career-high eight receptions, including four on the 11-play, 85-yard, go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter at Pittsburgh that gave the Irish a 15-12 lead. His four grabs on the TD drive totaled 34yards. Eifert also added a critical two-point conversion reception.
The eight catches by Eifert tied him with Kyle Rudolph (twice in 2010), John Carlson (2006), Anthony Fasano (2004) and Ken MacAfee (1977) for second most ever in a game by a Notre Dame tight end. The Irish single-game record is nine by MacAfee for 114 yards in a 31-24 victory at Purdue in 1977.
Eifert now leads all Football Subdivision tight ends in receptions (20), receptions per game (5.0), receiving yards (244) and receiving yards per game (61.0).
This is the second time in Eifert’s career he has been named John Mackey Award Tight End of the Week. He originally was honored following last year’s Army game where Eifert caught four passes for 78 yards with one touchdown at Yankee Stadium.
The 2011 recipient of “The Mackey” will be announced at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Red Carpet Show December 8, 2011 on ESPNU. Please visit www.johnmackeyaward.org for all Mackey Award related information including the John Mackey Selection Committee, the selection process and award criteria, information on all past award recipients and a high-resolution image of the award trophy available for download.
The John Mackey Tight End of the Week is an honor distinct and different from the annual John Mackey Award. This weekly honor was started in 2004 todraw attention to individual play by Tight Ends during the active season. The Tight End of the Week acknowledgment does not have a direct bearing on the final John Mackey Award selection process. The Nassau County Sports Commission, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization sponsored by Briarcliffe College, is responsible for the administration of the John Mackey Award and the John Mackey Award Selection Committee.
The John Mackey Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. Formore information, visit the association’s official website, www.ncfaa.org.
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