Oct. 1, 2001

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Johns Hopkins sophomore nose guard Paul Smith (Lafayette, NJ/Sparta) has been named the Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week, it was announced today by the league. This is the first time Smith has earned the award in his career, while he is the second Johns Hopkins defensive player to be named Centennial Defensive Player of the Week this season. Previously, senior defensive lineman Adam Seidman earned the award after Johns Hopkins defeated Washington & Lee in the season-opener.

Smith enjoyed the finest game of his career in the 14-7 win over Gettysburg last Saturday. He posted a career-high 11 tackles, including nine solo stops. Of his 11 tackles, three were sacks and two others were for losses. With Smith leading the way, Johns Hopkins limited Gettysburg to just 136 yards of total offense, the lowest output by a Johns Hopkins opponent since September 19, 1997, when Swarthmore managed just 120 yards in a Blue Jay victory.

Through four games, Smith ranks third on the team in tackles with 17 and leads the team with eight tackles for losses and three sacks. The Johns Hopkins defense currently leads the Centennial Conference in scoring defense (16.5 points per game), passing defense (103.2 yards per game), pass efficiency defense (69.4 rating), and total defense (254.8 yards per game). The Blue Jays rank fourth in rushing defense (151.5 yards per game). The Blue Jays have held three of their first four opponents to seven points or less.

Under the guidance of 12th-year coach Jim Margraff, Johns Hopkins currently boasts a 3-1 overall record, which includes a 1-0 record in the Centennial Conference. The Blue Jays, who have received votes in the AFCA NCAA Division III Poll in each of the last two weeks, will host Ursinus (2-2, 1-1) in a key Centennial Conference matchup on Saturday at 1:00 pm at Homewood Field.

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