Cameron Wake named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

Written by Matthew Cannata | Twitter: @PhinManiacs
Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for the opening week of the 2014 NFL Season, it was announced today by the National Football League.

Wake had three tackles, two sacks, two quarterback hits and recorded two forced fumbles in the Dolphins 33-20 victory over their AFC East Divisional rivals New England Patriots on September 7, 2014. The honor marks the second time that Wake has been selected as the AFC Defensive Player of the Week, the first came in 2013 following his Week 9 performance during the Dolphins 22-20 overtime victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on October 31, 2013. Wake was also honored in 2012 as the AFC Defensive player of the Month for October.

Wake becomes the first Dolphins defensive player to win the Player of the Week Award for an opening week performance since 2001 when linebacker Zach Thomas was selected for his performance against the Tennessee Titans on September 9, 2001. Since the NFL began awarding Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week in 1984, Wake is the ninth Dolphin to win the honor in Week 1.

“Probably out of every kind of personal accolade or award or recognition I’ve gotten, that is the most important or rewarding one that I’ve ever received,” Wake said. “Because a lot of things, whether it’s Pro Bowl, All-Pro, Player of the Week — not to get me wrong because I definitely love those things — it’s a lot of outsiders choosing. Whereas in this locker room, coaches and players involved, they voted, they know me, they see me 12 hours a day, six days a week and they see all the stuff that nobody sees on ‘SportsCenter’ or on TV. They see whether I work hard. Do I answer the right questions in team (meetings)? Do I lead the rookies? All the things that nobody else is going to see, they see. And they still chose you to be a representation of that team.

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