Carlton Martial Named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week

TROY, Ala. – Coming off the top tackle game in the country this season, Troy junior linebacker Carlton Martial has been named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday morning. Martial recorded 21 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and an interception against No. 11 Coastal Carolina this past Saturday.

Martial's 21 tackles are tied for the most in the country this season and rank as the second most in Troy history. It was the Mobile, Ala., native's fourth straight game and fifth this season with double-digit tackles; he is averaging 14.5 tackles per game over that four-game stretch.

He intercepted Coastal's Grayson McCall (just his second interception thrown all year) with 2:31 to play in the fourth quarter and the Trojans trailing by five points. Tray Eafford caught a 6-yard touchdown pass 71 seconds later to give Troy a late lead before the Chanticleers were able to rally for the victory.

Martial leads the country this season with 113 tackles and his 239 tackles the last two seasons are 24 more than anyone else nationally. He leads the country with 13 double-digit tackles the last two seasons while his 28.5 tackles for loss rank as the fourth most nationally since the start of the 2019 season.

The 5-foot-9 former walk-on ranks fifth all-time in Troy history in assisted tackles, 11^th in career tackles and 20^th in solo tackles. Martial is the first Troy player to record more than 100 tackles in consecutive seasons since 2001-02.

Troy University Athletics

Carlton Martial Named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week

Players Mentioned

Tray Eafford

Carlton Martial

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