BAY CITY, Mich. – Derek Whaley was named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the season's opening weekend after registering two takeaways for Roosevelt.

The graduate student from Lansing, Illinois made two big plays for the Lakers in the second half of their 44-28 win over Chicago State on Saturday. He picked up a fumble midway through the third quarter and returned it 38 yards deep into Cougars territory to set up a score. He then stepped in front of a pass early in the fourth and set up Roosevelt's final touchdown of the game.

"Derek is a really hard-working senior that does things the right way," Roosevelt head coach Billy McKeon said. "He has always been a little quieter, but we have seen him take a huge step in his ability to communicate and lead the guys around him. He made two really big plays for us Saturday with the interception and fumble recovery, but his impact goes well beyond those two plays. I'm really proud of the growth we've seen from him, and it's great to see him get recognized for it."

It is the first weekly conference honor of Whaley's career and the first Lakers player to earn Defensive Player of the Week honors from the GLIAC. Whaley also added five tackles in the victory and was part of several more group stops near the line of scrimmage from his linebacker position.

The Lakers continue their season Saturday on the road at 6:30 p.m. against Quincy.