(Phoenix, AZ) The Indoor Football League announced on Tuesday afternoon that Arizona Rattlers linebacker Ricky Wyatt Jr. has been awarded Week 8 Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts in Arizona’s 44-34 win over the Tucson Sugar Skulls.
In Arizona’s home opener on Saturday, Wyatt led the team with nine tackles, including eight solo and one sack, which was a safety in the first quarter that set the tone for the Rattlers’ third win of the season. Wyatt is the second straight Rattler to win Player of the Week honors, after quarterback Drew Powell was the IFL’s Week 7 Offensive Player of the Week.
Since the Rattlers joined the IFL in 2017, Wyatt is the 11th player to win Defensive Player of the Week honors. He is the first Rattler to accomplish the feat since defensive lineman Nikolaus D’Avanzo in Week 15 of 2019. In 2019, the Rattlers led the IFL with five Defensive Player of the Week awards, which were won by five different players. Despite leading the Rattlers in sacks during the 2019 season, the award is the first of Ricky Wyatt Jr.’s IFL career.
Press Release courtesy of the Arizona Rattlers – Steve Cusumano
