Two Oklahoma State Players Receive Big 12 Weekly Honors

The Cowboys’ win against Arkansas was so absurd that two players on a defense that allowed 648 yards earned weekly honors.

The Big 12 on Monday announced recipients for weekly awards, with Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin being named Defensive Player of the Week and fellow linebacker Obi Ezeigbo getting Newcomer of the Week.

Martin was recognized after tallying 16 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries during OSU’s 39-31 double-overtime win over Arkansas on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium. His 4.5 tackles for loss were the most by an FBS player in a game this season through three weeks (including Week 0). Martin was on the sidelines for only two of the Cowboys’ 93 defensive snaps Saturday.

Despite leading the Big 12 in tackles last season, this was Martin’s first Big 12 weekly award.

“Nick plays so hard it’s crazy,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “He set a record on Catapult (a GPS tracking vest the players wear). He was at 857 on player load in Catapult. We’ve never even had anybody over 800. Most guys that play float around 620-690, and he was at 857 on Catapult. We were gonna check his Catapult this week to make sure it wasn’t malfunctioning. But when I watched him on tape and watched him play, I can see why he was at that number.

“When you have a guy like him running around making plays, you’re always gonna feel good about it because he shows up out of nowhere.”

Ezeigbo, a transfer from Division-II Gannon, stepped up after star linebacker Collin Oliver went down in the second quarter with a foot injury that could potentially end his season. With Oliver sidelined, Ezeigbo had nine tackles, two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry in only his second Division-I game. All of Ezeigbo’s tackles were recorded after Oliver’s injury.

The Cowboys will travel away from Stillwater for the first time this season Saturday, but just down the highway to Tulsa for an 11 a.m. kick against the Golden Hurricane.