NEWTOWN, Pa.— The Middle Atlantic Conference Office today released Weekly Honors for the week ending Nov. 9. The league selected Eastern University safety Gashawn Moody Sr. as the Defensive Player of the Week. In his final regular-season home game, Moody posted a team-best eight tackles with a pair of sacks, three quarterback hurries, and an interception in Eastern's 28-7 win over FDU-Florham.

Moody earned First-Team All-MAC honors in Eastern's first two seasons of football and is the leading tackler in program history. He is one of the 'Year Zero' guys honored by the program before the game. After playing an abbreviated club season in 2022, Eastern won two games in 2023 and finished 2024with four wins in the team's final five games to post a 5-5 mark. With a 7-1 record in the league, this year's squad has secured at least a share of the MAC Title and has locked up the league's AQ to the NCAA Tournament. 

Early on in the program, it seemed Moody was in on every tackle. In this more successful season, Moody has spent more time protecting the back end and supporting a defensive line and linebacker corps. With FDU not able to find space to run, Defensive Coordinator Kory David had Moody in all types of blitz packages. Moody got home for a pair of sacks, was often the first to meet the runner on draw plays, and had the quarterback on his back foot three more times. 

He capped his day with his second career interception. Jason Bateman tipped the pass and Moody secured it. He covered quite a distance as he wove across the field for a 49-yard return. Two plays later, the Eagles scored a final touchdown just before the PA announcer gave a score update that Misericordia was down four scores heading into the fourth quarter. 

The Eastern defense has not allowed a passing touchdown in the last five games and is allowing only 242 yards per game. 

Moody is the sixth Eastern player to win a Player of the Week Honor this year. Brett Nabb, Jeremiah Avrilien, and Jason Bateman have each earned two honors, and John Nolek and John Westfield have each won once. 

The Eagles are at Stevenson on Saturday. As the only team in the MAC with just one loss, they can secure sole control of the MAC Championship with a win. Misericordia and Delaware Valley each have two losses.