Oct. 2, 2002

Columbia, Mo. - University of Missouri senior cornerback R.J. Jones, already named Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, added to his hardware collection today, as he was named the Football Writers Association of America Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week.

Jones tied Big 12 and Missouri single-game records by intercepting three Troy State passes on Saturday. He returned his final interception 39 yards to set up a Tiger field goal in MU's 44-7 rout over Troy State. Jones also broke up three passes on the afternoon, and added 2 tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage. The Mountain View, Calif., native was an integral part of a Tiger defense that held Troy State to 300 yards and seven points, well below the Trojans' per-game averages of 402 yards and 23.5 points coming into Saturday's contest.

A three-person panel from the FWAA selects the winner of the weekly award. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club pick a national defensive player of the week, and Jones will be added to the Watch List for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy which will be presented on Dec. 9 in Charlotte, N.C., by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Previous weekly winners of the 2002 Bronko Nagurski Player of the Week award include: Sept. 9 - Maurice Sikes (Miami, Fla.); Sept. 16 - Shane Walton (Notre Dame); Sept. 23 - Willie Pile (Virginia Tech); Sept. 30 - R.J. Jones (Missouri).