Senior tight end Zach Ertz was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-6 Cardinal caught three passes for 71 yards in Saturday’s 21-14 victory over USC. Ertz also scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter, a 37-yard catch-and run that finished with a dive into the end zone.
With the lead in Stanford’s favor for the first time all game, Ertz also was instrumental run-blocking on the subsequent drive that sealed victory and ate six minutes of fourth-quarter game clock.
Last year, Coby Fleener for Stanford was a recipient of the John Mackey Tight End of the Week honor on Oct. 19, 2011.
The 2012 recipient of the John Mackey Award, awarded annually to the most outstanding tight end in FBS college football, will be announced at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Red Carpet Show December 6, 2012 on ESPNU.
The John Mackey Tight End of the Week is an honor distinct and different from the annual John Mackey Award. This weekly honor was started in 2004 to draw attention to individual play by tight ends during the active season. The player of the week acknowledgment does not have a direct bearing on the final John Mackey Award selection process.
Zach Ertz and No. 9 Stanford next will visit Washington on Thursday Sept. 27 for their road opener of the 2012 season.