Moon Township, Pa. - Junior linebacker Alex DiMichele (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Sto-Rox) of the Robert Morris University football team earned the first weekly honor of his career Monday as he was tabbed the Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

DiMichele was bestowed the honor after posting a game-high 15 tackles and recovering an RMU single-game school record three fumbles in a 14-13 setback at VMI (9/5/09) in the 2009 season opener at Foster Stadium in Lexington, Va.

On two occasions in the second quarter DiMichele recovered a pair of fumbles inside RMU's 25-yard line to help stop drives by the Keydets.

DiMichele's first fumble recovery came at the RMU 22-yard line when he scooped up a fumble by VMI quarterback Kyle Hughes at the 10:50 mark of the second quarter, and on the next possession for the Keydets DiMichele forced and recovered a fumble by Howard Abegesah at the RMU four-yard line to help keep the game scoreless. He added his third fumble recovery in the third quarter, pouncing on a fumble by Tim Maypray at the VMI 48-yard line.

The 15 tackles by DiMichele against VMI in the 2009 season opener marks the ninth time in 11 career games he has recorded double-digit tackles in a Robert Morris uniform, including his third career game of at least 15 takedowns.

Robert Morris (0-1) continues a two-game road swing to open its 2009 campaign Saturday, Sept. 12, when it travels to Lewisburg, Pa., for a 6:00 p.m. tilt with Bucknell (0-1) at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.