Saint Joseph's College senior quarterback Billy VandeMerkt , University of Indianapolis senior linebacker Todd Hacker, and Truman State University senior return specialist Tremaine Millender have earned the first weekly awards of the Great Lakes Valley Conference football season.  VandeMerkt has been named GLVC Offensive Player of the Week honors, Hacker earns Defensive Player of the Week, and Millender takes home Special Teams Player of the Week accolades.

Hacker led a UIndy defense that held No. 9 Ashland to just nine points in Saturday's 10-9 win.  The Mooresville, Ind., native amassed a game-high 13 tackles, with 2.5 going for a total loss of 18 yards.  Garnering his first-ever start at middle linebacker, Hacker set a personal best with two quarterback sacks, with his final sack coming on the Eagles' last drive of the game.  Down by a single point with less than two minutes to play, the Ashland offense crossed midfield and looked to get into field goal range for a potential game-winning kick, but Hacker's 10-yard sack of freshman QB Austin Bruns knocked the Eagles back into their own territory and all but sealed the home team.  This is the first weekly award for Hacker and the first for a Greyhound defender since John Strickland earned the final Defensive Player of the Week honor of the 2012 season on Nov. 12.