Football’s Brown, Pierre Receive National Honors following Win over Tennessee
10/21/2025 11:00:00 AM | Football
The Crimson Tide defenders picked up national acclaim for their efforts against the Volunteers
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama's Zabien Brown and Yhonzae Pierre each received additional weekly honors on Tuesday for their respective efforts in the Crimson Tide's 37-20 win over then-No. 11/11 Tennessee on Oct. 18. Brown was named the Bronko Nagurski Player of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), while Pierre earned the Chuck Bednarik Player of the Week, as announced by the Maxwell Football Club.
Brown and Pierre were awarded their second weekly honors following the Tide's 37-20 win over the Volunteers this past Saturday, as the two were previously named the Southeastern Conference Co-Defensive Players of the Week on Monday.
Nagurski Player of the Week
Zabien Brown
- Responsible for one of his best games to date in the Crimson Tide's 37-20 victory over then-No. 11 Tennessee
- Saw 57 coverage snaps and allowed just 16 yards across six targets on the night
- Tied for the team-high total and set a new career-best mark for tackles with seven stops
- Managed a pick-six of 99 yards on the Vols' final drive of the first half, flipping the momentum to the Tide instantly heading into halftime
- The interception return ranked as the second-longest pick-six in program history and helped Brown account for the third-most interception return yards in Alabama single-game history
- The pick was also the Tide's first interception return for a touchdown since 2023
Bednarik Player of the Week
Yhonzae Pierre
- Helped lead the Crimson Tide to its fourth top 25 victory in as many weeks in Alabama's 37-20 win over then-No. 11 Tennessee
- Disrupted a UT offense that managed only 20 points and 410 yards, well-below their season averages entering the Oct. 18 contest
- Matched his career high with six tackles, including a team-high tying five solo stops
- Registered a career-best three sacks (-31 yards), part of the Tide's four on the evening
- Recorded his three sacks against a Volunteer offensive line that had only allowed four total sacks over six games entering the Third Saturday in October
- Pierre's three sacks were the most by a Tide defender in a game since the 2021 season
