VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State senior defensive lineman Mark Robinson added more accolades from his outstanding performance last week in the 35-24 win over North Greenville.  He was named D2Football.com National Defender of the Week, the organization announced Tuesday.
 
Robinson, a Memphis, Tenn., native, also earned Co-Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors and was named Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athlete of the Week.  Robinson had a standout performance helping VSU snap a three-game skid as he had nine total tackles and five solo stops, four tackles for loss for 18 yards, four sacks for 18 yards, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery along with one hurry in a 35-24 win on Homecoming on Saturday versus North Greenville.  
 
VSU sacked NGU quarterback Dylan Ramirez seven times as a team, while Robinson's four sacks tied the Bazemore-Hyder Stadium record for the third time as the last was Tyler Josey of VSU on Nov. 1, 2012, versus Texas A&M-Kingsville.  Robinson's four sacks also tied for the most in program history in a single game for the third time and first since 1997.  It also tied for fourth-most all-time in Gulf South Conference history.
 
This season, Robinson has 25 total tackles for the season with 4.5 tackles for loss for 19 yards, four sacks for 18 yards, three hurries, the one fumble recovery and the one forced fumble in five games played.  
 
Robinson joins Eastern New Mexico University quarterback Jarius Stewart and Assumption (Mass.) kicker Massimo Sgambati as the national players of the week.  
 
Robinson is the first Blazer to be named D2Football.com National Player of the Week in 2025, and the first from the Gulf South Conference this season as well.
 
The Blazers open Gulf South Conference play on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium versus No. 21 West Alabama.  
 
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