LANCASTER, Pa. --- Junior linebacker Kevin Bracken of the Moravian College football team has been selected as the Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week while freshman running back Chris Negron earned a helmet sticker for being on the Weekly Honor Roll after their performances in the Greyhounds' 24-12 loss to Muhlenberg College Saturday to close out the 2013 season.
Bracken was voted as Moravian's Most Valuable Player in the game by the media in attendance, and he led all players with 18 tackles which included 12 solo stops. Bracken added two pass break-ups including his team-leading fourth interception of the season that he returned 28 yards to stop Muhlenberg's first possession of the second half. Bracken's day finished off an outstanding junior year that saw him make a team-high 107 tackles to go with seven tackles for loss, four interceptions, 10 passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Bracken and sophomore defensive back Anthony Orlando became the first Moravian duo to finish a season with over 100 tackles as Orlando recorded 103 stops. Bracken's 107 tackles are the most by a Greyhound since John Cupples had 105 tackles in 2002, the last time a Moravian defender hit the century mark.
"Kevin has become an emotional leader and played his heart out for us this fall," stated Head Coach Jeff Pukszyn. "Kevin spends a lot of time during the week meeting with the coaches and watching film, and he really translated that to his play on Saturdays for everyone to see. Reaching 100 tackles in a 10-game season is great accomplishment and shows that Kevin is putting himself in great positions to make plays on the field. We're excited that he has one more season with us."
Negron carried the ball 21 times on Saturday and ran for 137 yards to complete his debut season with a Centennial Conference freshman record of 1,052 yards on 169 carries. Negron went over the milestone in the late in the third quarter when he found a hole and raced the middle for a 43-yard gain after the Greyhounds started a drive at their own 10-yard line. Negron became the first running back to reach 1,000 yards since Chris Jacoubs hit the mark for the third straight year in 2005 with 1,014 yards. Jacoubs also ran for 1,051 yards in 2003 and a school record 1,789 yards in 2004. Jim Joseph is the only other Greyhound to reach the 1,000-yard mark with 1,048 yards in 1985, the first 10-game season in Moravian history. Saturday's 139 yards at Muhlenberg marked the fifth time Negron surpassed 100 yards in a game this fall and fourth time in six contests.
"For Chris to reach 1,000 yards as a freshman is tremendous," Pukszyn said. "He really started to become comfortable with the college game around week five against Ursinus once the repetitions in practice started to translate to success during the game. Chris worked extremely hard to understand the spread offense we installed this season, and the offensive line opened some big holes for Chris in the second half of the year. With Chris being just a freshman, we can't wait to watch him continue to grow in both the classroom and on the playing field during the rest of his career."
