Vikings DE Danielle Hunter has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Detroit Lions last week. Hunter set a career-high in sacks with 3.5 while adding 9 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback pressures and 1 fumble recovery that he returned 32-yards for a game-sealing touchdown in the 4th quarter. Hunter became the first player since at least 1982 to record 9 tackles, 3.5 sacks and a touchdown in a single-game. As a defensive unit, the Vikings set a franchise record with 10 sacks.
The 4th year pro, who recently turned 24, leads the NFL with 11.5 sacks. The former LSU Tiger has recorded at least 1.0 sack in 8 of the 9 Viking contests this season. The 3rd round draft pick in the 2015 NFL Draft (#88 overall) has 37.0 career sacks.
The NFC Player of the Week award is the first of Hunter’s career, and the eighth by a Viking defensive player under Head Coach Mike Zimmer.
VIKINGS TO BE NAMED NFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK UNDER ZIMMER
| Defensive | Anthony Barr, LB | 2014, Week 8, at Tampa Bay |
| Special Teams | Adam Thielen, WR | 2014, Week 13, vs. Carolina |
| Special Teams | Marcus Sherels, PR | 2015, Week 8, at Chicago |
| Defensive | Linval Joseph, DT | 2015, Week 9, vs. St. Louis |
| Defensive | Terence Newman, CB | 2015, Week 10, at Oakland |
| Special Teams | Blair Walsh, K | 2015, Week 16, vs. NY Giants |
| Defensive | Everson Griffen, DE | 2015,Week 17, at Green Bay |
| Defensive | Eric Kendricks, LB | 2016, Week 1, at Tennessee |
| Offensive | Stefon Diggs, WR | 2016, Week 2, vs. Green Bay |
| Defensive | Everson Griffen, DE | 2016, Week 3, at Carolina |
| Defensive | Xavier Rhodes, CB | 2016, Week 11, vs. Arizona |
| Offensive
Special Teams |
Sam Bradford, QB
Kai Forbath, K |
2017, Week 1, vs. New Orleans
2017, Week 7, vs. Baltimore |
| Defensive
Defensive Defensive |
Harrison Smith, S
Harrison Smith, S Danielle Hunter, DE |
2017, Week 16, at Green Bay
2018, Week 1, vs. San Francisco 2018, Week 9, vs. Detroit |