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Cam Jordan named NFC Defensive Player of the Week

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 25: Cameron Jordan #94, right, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson #22 of the New Orleans Saints celebrate a play during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 25, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Saints DE Cameron Jordan has been named the Week 15 NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Jordan, 6-4, 287, originally selected by New Orleans with the 24th overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of California, spearheaded a defensive effort in a 9-0 shutout of Tampa Bay on Sunday Night Football where he recorded five solo tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble, which was recovered by teammate Marshon Lattimore.


With his second sack on the evening, Jordan surpassed the century mark for his career with 100.5 sacks, joining former Black and Gold LB Rickey Jackson as the only two players to have 100 plus sacks with the Saints. They are the 3rd pair of players to each top 100 plus sacks with the same team, joining a couple legendary duos such as Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis from Indianapolis Colts, as well as Lawrence Taylor and Michael Strahan from the New York Giants.

Jordan is now tied for 34th all-time in NFL record books for sacks with William Fuller, Charles Haley and Cameron Wake. After dropping Buccaneers QB Tom Brady three times in the series sweep in 2021, he has sacked him four times, putting him as tied for the fourth-most sack quarterback on his list. The performance was the 23rd multi-sack game of Jordan’s 11-year career.

It is the third NFC Defensive Player of the Week selection in Jordan’s career and the first since 2019 for the six-time Pro Bowler and three-time Associated Press All-Pro selection who in 173 career games with 172 starts has posted 650 career tackles (408 solo), the 100.5 career sacks, two interceptions, 56 passes defensed, 13 forced fumbles and ten fumble recoveries. In 13 games started in 2021, Jordan leads the New Orleans defensive line with 42 tackles (27 solo), is second on the club with six sacks and has added four passes defensed and a club-best two forced fumbles. In addition to his football production in 2021, Jordan is also the club’s nominee for the National Football League Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for the second-time in his 11-year career.

{Courtesy: release from the New Orleans Saints}