Kareem Ba was named the CIS Defensive Player of the Week after a standout performance in the Thunderbirds 28-24 victory over Manitoba October 5, 2013.
Ba, a fourth-year kinesiology student from White Rock, B.C., took home the weekly honour on defence thanks to a dominating performance in a crucial 28-24 road win over then No. 10-ranked Manitoba which allowed the Thunderbirds (3-3) to catch the Bisons in the Canada West standings. The 6-foot-3, 228-pound senior finished the contest with six tackles, including four for losses and 2.5 sacks, while forcing two fumbles and recovering a loose ball. Ba now leads the Canada West conference and ranks third in the country with three forced fumbles on the season.