Justin Townsend Takes Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week Honors
11/24/2025 1:30:00 PM | Football
Townsend became the Lions’ all-time sack leader in a win over Cornell
PRINCETON, N.J. — Columbia football's Justin Townsend earned Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors, the conference office announced Monday afternoon. Townsend became the Lions' all-time sack leader and helped the team to a 29-12 victory over Cornell on Saturday.
Townsend took over in the second half, posting 2.5 second-half sacks to finish his storied career with 23, one more than the previous record set in 2019. His record-breaking sack forced a fumble, which led to a Columbia touchdown to ice the game in the fourth quarter. He finished with four tackles on the day and helped the defense limit the Big Red to 88 rushing yards.
Townsend is the second Lion to pick up an Ivy League Weekly Award after Michael Walters picked up Rookie of the Week honors on November 17. He is the first defensive player of the week for the program since Hayden McDonald '25CC on October 7, 2024.
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