CHENEY, Wash. — A new year is on the horizon and there will be a new Eagle wearing No. 4 on the Red. Eastern Washington defensive tackle
Isaiah Perez earns the honor and will suit up with the No. 4 jersey in the fall. Head coach
Aaron Best announced the honor at the team's meeting yesterday.
"It's a huge honor and privilege to be able to carry on the legacy of #4," Perez described. "The standard has been set by those before me and I hope to continue what they have built."
The honor is given to the player who most embodies the characteristics of defense at Eastern: grit, toughness, effort, leadership and academic success. It includes both on- and off-field characteristics, and carries a rich tradition of athletic excellence.
Dating back more than a decade, the legacy of the honor at Eastern is rich with standout players on the defensive side of the ball. Senior Jason Belford wore No. 4 in 2008 and since then, the coaching staff has selected a leader on defense to wear the jersey.
Perez stepped into a bigger role on the defensive line during the 2024 season, playing in all 12 games and making 10 starts. The Othello, Wash. native posted 19 total tackles with 2.5 for a loss, including 1.5 sacks. Against Montana (9/28), Perez set a career-best with four tackles and added a quarterback hurry. Perez notched his first career solo sack in the team's 43-15 win over Northern Colorado (11/9).
As an Eagle, Perez has played in 23 career games and made 12 starts with 38 total tackles. He has 14 solo tackles with 7.0 total for a loss.
Perez will inherit the No. 4 jersey from defensive end Brock Harrison, who wore the number the past two seasons. Harrison played his final season at Eastern this past fall, tallying 27 total tackles and a team-leading 4.0 sacks. He finished his career with 133 total tackles and 10.5 sacks in 58 games played.
Below is the list of players who have worn that number since EWU became a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in 1984 (Big Sky in 1987).
Player — Pos., Years
- Hunter, Darryl — DB, 1983-86
- Corr, Dominic — RB, 1986-89 %
- Wright, Harold — RB, 1990-93 %
- Givens, Roderick — DB, 1995
- Brightful, Lamont — WR, 1998-01 #%
- Williams, A.J. — DB, 2002-03 %
- Dotson, Anthony — DB, 2005-07 %
- Belford, Jason — DL, 2005-08 %
- Sherritt, J.C. — LB, 2007-10 #%
- Brown, Allen — DB, 2010-13 %
- Raynes, Todd — DB, 2012-15 %
- Zamora, Miquiyah — LB, 2013-16 %
- Havili, Albert — DL, 2013-17 %
- Fettig, Mitch — DB, 2015-18 %
- Ledbetter, Dylan — DL, 2016-19 %
- Criner, Calin — DB, 2017-21 %
- Smith, Anthany — DB, 2018-22 %
- Harrison, Brock - DE, 2019-24
# All-America selection — Brightful was first team in 2001, second team in 2000 & second team in 1999 as return specialist, and honorable mention in 2001 as a wide receiver; Sherritt was the Buck Buchanan Award winner in 2010, and first team in 2009 and 2010 as a linebacker.
% All-Big Sky Conference selection — Corr was first team in 1989 & second team in 1989 as return specialist; Wright was Big Sky Newcomer of the Year in 1989, and first team in 1991 & second team in 1992 as a running back; Brightful was first team in 2001 as a wide receiver and return specialist, first team in 2000 as a return specialist, second team in 2000 as a wide receiver and first team in 1999 as a return specialist; Williams was honorable mention in 2003 and 2002 as a safety; Dotson was second team in 2007 as an outside linebacker; Belford was second team in 2008 and honorable mention in 2007 as a defensive end; Sherritt was the Big Sky Defensive MVP in 2010, first team in 2009 and 2010 as a linebacker & honorable mention in 2008 as a linebacker; Brown was second team in 2012 & honorable mention in 2013 as a safety; Raynes was third team in 2015 as a safety; Zamora was first team in 2016 & honorable mention in 2014 as a linebacker; Havili was second team in 2017 as a defensive end; Fettig was third team in 2018 & 2017 & honorable mention in 2016 as a safety; Ledbetter was honorable mention in 2018 and 2019 as a defensive tackle; Criner was honorable mention in 2021 as a safety; Smith was first team in 2020-21 as a safety.
Eastern Washington's 2025 season begins on Aug. 30 against Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. EWU's home opener is Sep. 20 against Western Illinois for Welcome Weekend and Rush Roos.
2025 EWU football season tickets are now on sale! Join Spokane County's team for five home games at Roos Field in Cheney starting as low as $99. Group tickets are also available. For more info, visit goeags.com/fbtickets or contact the EWU Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 or tickets@ewu.edu.
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season ticket and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access, and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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