DALLAS (FWAA) –  Marshall defensive end Vinny Curry has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Oct. 15.

Curry

Curry, a 6-3, 263-pound senior from Neptune, N.J., made nine tackles, including four tackles for losses (3.5 sacks) along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the Thundering Herd's 24-20 victory over Rice. The sacks were all on third down, halting Rice drives. His strip of Rice running back Sam McGuffie set up the Herd offense at the Rice 23-yard line with 3:31 remaining in the game. Marshall scored the game-winning touchdown five plays later.

For the season, Curry leads the nation in tackles for loss with 17 and is second with 9.5 sacks. His contributions have helped Marshall lead the nation with 67 tackles for loss.

Curry is already on the 2011 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be presented to the best defensive player in college football on Dec. 12 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. The keynote address will be given by Georgia head coach Mark Richt and Florida's Jack Youngblood from the Class of 1970 will receive this year's Bronko Nagurski Legends Award. Five finalists for the Nagurski Trophy will be announced on Nov. 17.

Each week during the 2011 season the FWAA All-America Committee has selected a national defensive player of the week from nominations made by the 11 Division I Bowl Subdivision Conferences and major independents.

Last season, Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers won the coveted Bronko Nagurski Trophy during the 16th season the FWAA named a national defensive player of the year.

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.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,200 men and women 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 gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com or 972-713-6198.

2011 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week
• Sept. 3: Nordly Capi, Colorado State
• Sept. 10: Ja'Gared Davis, SMU
• Sept. 17: Javon Harris, Oklahoma
• Sept. 24: Jeremiah Attaochu, Georgia Tech
• Oct. 1: Brady Amack, Air Force
• Oct. 8: Jamell Fleming, Oklahoma
• Oct. 15: Vinny Curry, Marshall
• Oct. 22: Kourtnei Brown, Clemson
• Oct. 29: Jarvis Jones, Georgia
• Nov. 5: Eric Reid, LSU