[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A two-touchdown game by a defensive player is rare. Hutchinson Community College freshman linebacker Monty Montgomery accomplished that feat last Saturday at Dodge City.

One day after earning a second-straight Jayhawk Conference Defensive Player of the Week, Montgomery was tapped on Wednesday as the NJCAA National Defensive Player of the Week.

Montgomery is the first Blue Dragon defensive player to win the NJCAA National award since Marquavius Lewis won it in Week 5 of 2014. Montgomery is the second Blue Dragon this season to earn a national weekly award. Kicker Sebastian Garcia was honored by the NJCAA after a Sept. 15 win over Fort Scott.

Both of Montgomery’s defensive touchdowns were momentum-swinging type plays.

The 5-foot-11, 218-pound freshman from Grayson, Georgia, first stripped a Dodge City back of the ball, literally taking it right out of the player’s hands and returning it 20 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Montgomery then had a 25-yard interception return for a score early in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.

Montgomery now has three defensive touchdowns in the last two games. He was part of a fourth defensive touchdown when he intercepted a pass against Independence and lateraled the ball to Kelvin Clemmons, who returned it 40 yards for a touchdown in Week 2.

The No. 4 Blue Dragons have a bye this week.