Fort Lewis College Athletics

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Jake Penney (0) gets hyped up with his fellow Skyhawks against the ThunderWolves at the CSU Pueblo Thunderbowl (Oct. 11, 2025)

National tackle leader Penney tabbed RMAC Defensive Player of the Week

10/27/2025 2:00:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The NCAA Division II leader in total tackles, Jake Penney, has been named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Week Eight Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday afternoon.

Last Saturday, Penney put up one of the best individual defensive efforts in program history, supplying his defense with 21 total tackles, including five solo and 16 assisted tackles, in Fort Lewis (1-7, 0-6 RMAC) 24-14 loss on the road at Colorado Mesa University (4-4, 3-3 RMAC). He also added 2.0 tackles for a combined four yards lost. The mark stands as the 2^nd-most in DII, the 8^th-most in all of NCAA football, and as one of 28, 20+ tackle performances in the NCAA this year. He now boasts 109 tackles this season, the most in DII and the 2^nd-most in all of NCAA football.

Penney, a redshirt junior inside linebacker out of Spanish Springs High School in Sparks, Nev., punched his fourth entry into the Skyhawks' single-game tackles top-10 all-time list. His latest career performance of 21 tackles ranks second all-time, and adds to his previous marks of tying for the 4^th-most (18), the 5^th-most (17), and the 9^th-most tackles (16).

Through 30 games, Penney has amassed 311 career tackles, including 189 solo stops and 122 assisted tackles. His marks are good for the 6^th-most total tackles and tie Tom Rieber (1984-86) for the 2^nd-most solo tackles all-time. He trails Phillip Odell's (2008-12) all-time mark of 367 by 56 tackles. Penney is also 4^th among active Division II players and 24^th among all NCAA football players in career tackles.

Fort Lewis will be back at home next Saturday, Nov. 1, as the Skyhawks host the Grizzlies from Adams State University (0-8, 0-6 RMAC) for its second-annual Clash for the Pass! rivalry game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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