After just his fourth career NFL start, Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard has been named as the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
In a 37-3 Week 3 win over the Commanders, Bernard filled up the stat sheet with a team-high seven tackles (five solo), two sacks, one INT, one FR, two tackles for a loss, and a pass defensed.
He became the first NFL player with two sacks, one INT, and one fumble recovery in the same game since Bears Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher. He's the first player in Bills history to record such a stat line.
Bernard, a second-year player out of Baylor, was named the Bills starting MLB ahead of the regular season and has impressed the team with his consistent approach.
"Incredible grit, endurance, mental endurance. He works extremely hard as well and I mean he works when no one else is working," head coach Sean McDermott said after the Week 3 win.
Bernard is the first Buffalo player to win the weekly award since Ed Oliver last year on Thanksgiving.
"Just building confidence that I can do it," Bernard shared on Sunday. "Going day-by-day trying to stack days, get the confidence in my teammates, get the confidence in myself, get the confidence with the coaches."
