Illinois linebacker J Leman knocked down 19 tackles against No. 1-ranked Ohio State on Saturday and picked up the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award as a result.

“Usually it goes to a winning team, so I didn’t really expect it,” Leman said. “I think it’s really indicative of our defense’s effort in the second half.”

Leman’s defensive effort Saturday was crucial to the Illini holding the Buckeyes to a season-low 17 points and 224 yards of total offense. Ohio State failed to score in the second half, as Illinois’ defense gave up just 29 yards and four first downs.

In Saturday’s game, Leman had 3.5 tackles for loss – including an eight-yard sack – and he also forced a fumble. His 19 tackles were the most of any Big Ten player this season.

“My goal is to improve every play, not just every game or every year,” Leman said. “I definitely feel like I have gotten better, not just physically but in the mental part of the game, too.”

With Saturday’s effort, Leman improved to an average 11.7 tackles per game, which was good enough to lead the Big Ten and ran fourth nationally.

Leman is a preseason Butkus Award candidate, who in 2005 was named Illinois’ Outstanding Linebacker.

Leman is a junior on the playing field, but a graduate student in the classroom. He completed his undergraduate degree in Speech Communications this summer, and is now taking courses toward a master’s degree in human resource education.

“From his diet to everything he does, he’s really dedicated and focused,” safety Kevin Mitchell said. “He’s been coming out to play every day in practice. We all don’t want to practice every day, but he’s the type who gets everybody prepared, and he’s been a great addition to this football team.”

The Champaign native was the second Illini to win Player of the Week honors this season; kicker Jason Reda was the special teams player of the week after Illinois beat Michigan State on Sept. 30. Leman is the first Illini defender to be honored since defensive end Derrick Strong in 2002.

“With the whole defense in general, we know what we’re doing so now we’re just playing; we’re making our own plays,” Mitchell said. “Last year we were waiting for things to happen, and now we make things happen. J’s done a tremendous job of that.”