Malone University senior linebacker Ryan Weber was named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Defensive Player of the Week while senior punt returner Jordan Johnson was selected as the G-MAC Special Teams Player of the Week following their week-one performances Saturday night at Taylor.
 
Ryan Weber, of Butler, Ohio (Loudonville HS), set a career-high with 19 tackles (13 solo, six assists) along with two forced fumbles. The 19-tackle performance also tied a G-MAC record set by teammate Josh Correll in 2016. Weber, a four-year mainstay at linebacker for the Pioneers, made the second-most  solo tackles of any player in NCAA DII this past week and the third most tackles overall.. With 249 career tackles, Weber is currently ranked 11th among active DII players. He led the G-MAC with 79 stops last fall.
 
Jordan Johnson, of Norwalk, Ohio (Norwalk HS), earned the Special Teams honor after recording the first punt return touchdown in G-MAC history. After fielding the fourth-quarter punt on the left hash, Johnson raced to the opposite sideline before cutting up the field and taking it 70 yards to the endzone. Johnson became the first player in Malone history with two punt return touchdowns in his career. He also holds the record for the two longest punt returns. His 76-yard return as a sophomore in 2015 still stands as the school record.