Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football's Eden, Wesley Earn Patriot League Weekly Awards
11/8/2010 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 8, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell junior DL Josh Eden (State College, Pa./State College Area) and freshman QB Brandon Wesley (Plano, Texas/Plano East) were both cited by the Patriot League on Monday. Eden was named the league's Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time in his career, while Wesley copped the Rookie of the Week award for the fifth time this season.
Eden earned his honor thanks to a pair of blocked kicks. He blocked a 45-yard field goal attempt by Fordham's Patrick Murray in the first half of this past Saturday's 33-21 loss to the Rams. In the second half he got his hand on an extra-point attempt to keep the Bison within 13 points on the scoreboard. Eden now has five blocked kicks this season. The last time a Bucknell player had more than two blocked kicks in a season was 2002.
While Eden has had plenty of success this season on special teams, his real strength is as the leader of the Bison defense. He has posted at least four tackles in every game this season and is tied for third on the squad with 46 tackles. Against Fordham he posted six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Eden leads the team with 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks this year. His career tallies for those categories are 27.5 and 12, respectively.
Wesley earned his first Rookie of the Week honor since Oct. 11 behind a 23-for-41 passing day against Fordham. He totaled 228 yards, his second-highest figure this year, and one touchdown through the air. Wesley also rushed 14 times for 19 yards and a score, and he caught his first career pass, a 31-yard strike from RB Tyler Smith.
Already the school's freshman passing record holder by more than 600 yards, Wesley's 1,460 passing yards place him just 323 shy of 10th place in program history. The last Bison to throw for more yards in a season was Todd Wenrich, who piled up 2,327 in 2001.
By earning the Rookie of the Week honor for a fifth time this season Wesley has tied five other players for second-most all-time behind Jordan Scott's (Colgate) seven citations in 2005.
Bucknell (1-8, 1-2) will close out the home portion of its schedule this Saturday when it hosts Colgate at 1 p.m. Fifteen Bison seniors will be honored in a pregame on-field ceremony.
