Chadron State College true freshman safety Malik Goss was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, following a vote of the league’s special committee for weekly honors.

Goss’s spectacular interception return of 82 yards put the Eagles up 6-0 in Saturday’s 40-22 win over Western Colorado, in front of a Homecoming Day gathering.

With Western driving deep into Chadron State territory on its first possession of the game, Goss got his fingertips on a throw by WCU quarterback Dylan Jacobs and was able to corral the tipped ball at the 18-yard line. He returned the pick all the way for the score. Goss, who will turn 18 years old later this month, also added six tackles, five of which were solo, to the Eagles’ defensive effort in their decisive victory.

This is the second consecutive week CSC has landed a player with conference honors, after Dalton Holst’s Offensive Player of the Week honor the previous week.