DALLAS (FWAA) – Georgia Tech middle linebacker Philip Wheeler has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games the week of Sept. 30.

Wheeler, a junior from Columbus, Ga., was the defensive star in Georgia Tech's 38-27 road victory over Virginia Tech. He had eight tackles - 2.5 for loss, including two sacks for 22 yards in losses. His forced fumble proved to be one of the key plays of the game.

Trailing 24-13 at the beginning of the second half, Virginia Tech drove to midfield before Wheeler came on a blitz and sacked quarterback Sean Glennon, who fumbled. The Yellow Jackets' Gary Guyton scooped up the ball and ran for a touchdown, providing what proved to be the winning points in the game.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be presented to the best defensive player in college football on Dec. 4 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C.

Last season Louisville end Elvis Dumervil won the coveted Bronko Nagurski Trophy during the 11th season the FWAA has named a Defensive Player of the Year.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 900 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C. region. The club's activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is www.touchdownclub.com.

For more information on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, contact FWAA executive director Steve Richardson (972-713-6198 or tiger@fwaa.com).

2006 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week
• Sept. 2: Buster Davis, Florida State
• Sept. 9: James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
• Sept. 16: Prescott Burgess, Michigan
• Sept. 23: Terrail Lambert, Notre Dame
• Sept. 30: Philip Wheeler, Georgia Tech
• Oct. 7: Aaron Ross, Texas
• Oct. 14: Quentin Groves, Auburn
• Oct. 21: Ameer Ismail, Western Michigan
• Oct. 28: Damon Nickson, Middle Tennessee
• Nov. 4: Quinton Culberson, Mississippi State