CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard Football sophomore AJ Lopez has been named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week. The award is the first of the defensive back's career and his second honor of the day after garnering FedEx Ground FCS National Defensive Player of the Week accolades this morning.
 
A native of Loganville, Georgia, Lopez helped lead the Crimson to a 38-28 win at No. 5/6 Holy Cross, which ended the Crusaders' 19-game regular-season winning streak against non-league opponents. He had five tackles, including three solos, and returned his first career interception for a touchdown late in the second quarter. In the fourth, Lopez's second forced fumble of the season stopped another drive. The sophomore also added a pass breakup to keep the Crimson (3-0) as one of just three unbeaten FCS teams.  
 
Lopez and the Harvard defensive unit caused five turnovers, including three interceptions of Holy Cross quarterback Matthew Sluka, who only had four picks over the course of the entire 2022 campaign. The Crimson also held the Crusaders to a season low in points against FCS opponents and matched Boston College's defensive performance against Holy Cross.
 
Lopez is the second Crimson player this season to earn the Ivy League's top weekly defensive honor. Ty Bartrum collected the award on Sept. 18.
 
Harvard returns to action on Friday when it plays host to Cornell in an Ivy League game that will be televised by ESPNU. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with tickets available at GoCrimson.com.