[Tuck4Bama]

He's not one of the more talked-about members of the Vanderbilt defense, but sophomore free safety Ryan Hamilton certainly earned a little attention this past weekend.

With seven solo tackles in the victory over Richmond, the Pennsylvania native was named the unit's player of week as he continued to build on a successful — and more importantly, pain-free — August camp.

"I practiced hard and practiced well the whole preseason, and it just showed in the game, I guess," Hamilton said as he and the Commodores prepared for Saturday's Southeastern Conference opener against visiting Alabama. The two teams will play at 11:30 a.m. at Vanderbilt Stadium.

The 6-foot-2, 208-pounder went through camp and the entire season with a right ankle that required surgery in January. Still, he played in all 12 games last season and started nine. He got the nod in the Michigan and Alabama games, then re-entered the lineup after Ben Koger suffered a broken leg against Temple.

Vanderbilt's Hamilton tackles spotlight - Nashville, Tennessee - Friday, 09/07/07