Freshman linebacker Octavius Thomas (Myrtle Beach, S.C./Myrtle Beach) of the Shepherd University football team has been named Mountain East Conference Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the league office today.

Thomas paced a Shepherd defense that shutout seventh-ranked Shippensburg, 33-0, on Saturday. Thomas notched seven tackles (six solo), including 1.5 tackles-for-loss, and recovered a fumble against the Red Raiders.