Nov. 12, 2008

University of Houston football senior Mark Hafner was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week as announced by the Nassau County Sports Commission on Wednesday.

Hafner hauled in a career-high 11 receptions, racking up 91 yards and a touchdown as the Cougars cruised to a 42-14 win over Conference USA-rival Tulane last weekend.

This marked the second Tight End of the Week award for the Waller, Texas native this season after receiving the honor following his three-touchdown performance against Air Force on Sept. 13.

This season, Hafner leads the Cougars in receptions (65), receiving yards (689) and receiving touchdowns (9).

Hafner and his Cougar teammates return to action at 7 p.m., Saturday, when they host C-USA foe Tulsa at Robertson Stadium.

The John Mackey Tight End of the Week is an honor distinct and different from the annual John Mackey Award. This weekly honor was started in 2004 to draw attention to individual play by Tight Ends during the active season. The Tight End of the Week acknowledgment does not have a direct bearing on the final John Mackey Award selection process.

The Nassau County Sports Commission, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization created to enhance quality of life of Nassau County residents through sports, is responsible for the administration of the John Mackey Award and the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. The 2008 recipient of "The Mackey" will be announced at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show live on ESPN and presented at the Nassau County Sports Commission Annual Awards Dinner on April 27, 2009.