With the exception of the MEAC, whose conference did not have a full slate of games last weekend, here are the black college football players of the week from the CIAA, SIAC, and SWAC.
CIAA Football Players of the Week
Offensive Lineman of the Week:
Dwayne Frost, Bowie State University
Position: OT Height: 6-6 Weight: 300 Class: Sr. Hometown: Largo, MD
Comments: Frost played every down in Bowie State’s 51-26 rout of Cheyney. Many of the plays were run behind Frost’s left tackle position,
as the Bulldogs rolled up 391 yards in total offense (224 rushing).
Receiver of the Week:
Dexter Manley, Elizabeth City State University
Position: WR Height: 6-3 Weight: 190 Class: Jr. Hometown: Chesapeake, VA
Comments: Manley wowed the ECSU faithful in his Viking debut, catching 5 passes for an astounding 203 yards receiving and two touchdowns. His
longest reception (and first score in a Viking uniform) of the day was a 62-yard touchdown to give ECSU a 20-7 lead with :09 seconds remaining in
the first half.
Offensive Back of the Week:
Curtis Rich, Elizabeth City State University
Position: Quarterback Height: 6-3 Weight: 200 Class: Sr. Hometown: Fort Washington, MD
Comments: Rich threw for more than half of his total passing yards (416 yards in 2007) from last season; with a career high 276 yards and three
touchdown passes in the Vikings’ season opening win over Chowan University. His longest strike came in a one play drive with a 62-yard
touchdown pass to Dexter Manley with :09 seconds left in the first half of Saturday’s game.
Defensive Lineman of the Week:
Marcus Kennedy, Saint Augustine’s College
Position: DT Height: 6-1 Weight: 290 Class: Sr. Hometown: Georgetown, SC
Comments: Kennedy, an NFL prospect, recorded 9 tackles including 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 1 fumble recovery in a 14-7 upset win over
nationally-ranked Catawba. Kennedy led a defense which held Catawba to 64 rushing yards.
Linebacker of the Week:
Steven Stanback, Saint Augustine’s College
Position: MLB Height: 6-1 Weight: 220 Class: So. Hometown: Temple Hills, MD
Comments: Stanback had a game-high 11 tackles and helped the Falcons hold nationally-ranked Catawba to 64 total rushing yards in a 14-7 upset
win.
Defensive Back of the Week:
Lawyer Montgomery, Johnson C. Smith University
Position: DB Height 6-2 Weight: 190 Class: So. Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Comments: Montgomery led all defenders (both teams) with 12 total tackles (7 solo, 5 assisted). He also had the game’s single interception returned for 7
yards and one pass break-up vs. Division I opponent North Carolina A&T.
Rookie of the Week:
Tariq Jones, Bowie State University
Position: HB Height 5-9 Weight: 198 Class: R-Fr Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Comments: Jones rushed for a game-high 102 yards in his collegiate debut against Cheyney, carrying the ball 13 times and scoring one
touchdown.
Specialty Player of the Week:
Clifton “Dominique” Budd, Bowie State University
Position: WR/KR/PR Height: 5-9 Weight: 172 Class: Fr. Hometown: Silver Spring, MD
Comments: Budd rolled up 225 All-Purpose Yards, which included 151 kickoff return yards, 22 punt return yards, 36 reception yards and 16
rushing yards.
Coach of the Week:
Michael Costa, Saint Augustine’s College
Comments: Costa directed the Falcons to a 14-7 upset win over nationally-ranked Catawba in the season opener. The Falcons are the
first CIAA team to defeat Catawba. They also snapped Catawba’s 13-game win streak in home openers including nine straight against CIAA teams.
This was the Falcons’ second win over a South Atlantic Conference team since re-instituting football in 2002.
SWAC Players of the Week
OFFENSE – RB Donald Babers of Prairie View A&M; 5-9, 170 JR, Houston, TX
Babers carried 27 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-14 win over Texas Southern. Babers had TD runs of 9 and 6 yards in the first half in leading the Panthers to their 5th consecutive season opening win.
DEFENSE – LB Marcellus Speaks, Jackson State; 6-2, 230 SR, Jackson, MS
Speaks posted 12 tackles (four for loss) and had two forced fumbles in the Tigers’ 17-13 loss to Hampton in the 4th MEAC/SWAC Challenge. Speaks was also named Jackson State’s Most Outstanding Player of the Game.
SPECIALIST – RS Clarence Cotten, Mississippi Valley State..5-10, 190 SR D’Iberville, MS
Cotten averaged 18.5 yards on four punt returns in Delta Devils’ 38-0 win over Texas College. He had punt returns of 16, 20, 23, and 15 yards. Cotten’s 16 and 23-yard returns set up a pair of touchdowns.
NEWCOMER – RB Kenneth Batiste, Grambling State….5-9, 175 R-Freshman, Lafayette, LA
Batiste caught six passes for 95 yards and one touchdown in the Tigers’ season-opening loss at Nevada. Batiste led all players in receiving yards and had Grambling’s longest play, a 59-yard reception in the third quarter.
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Football Players of the Week
Co-Offensive Players of the Week
Kevin Reese – Benedict (Jr, QB, 5-10, 210, Troup, GA)
Reese produced 146 yards of total offense (80 passing, 66 rushing) to be named MVP in Tigers’ win over Morehouse in Palmetto Capital City Classic in Columbia.
Robert Taylor – Albany State (Sr, WR, 6-4, 180, Lakeland, FL)
Taylor had three receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns in Golden Rams season-opening victory over defending CIAA Champs, Shaw University. One of his TD receptions went for 30 yards and came with one second remaining in the 2nd quarter to gave ASU a 13-10 halftime lead.
Co-Defensive Players of the Week
Trenton Newton – Fort Valley State (Jr, LB, 6-1, 215, Lakeland, FL)
Horton had 13 tackles (5 solo), a tackle for loss and a QB hurry in Wildcats win over Clark Atlanta.
Derrick Addia – Kentucky State (Soph, DB, 6-4, 210, Houston, TX)
Harris recorded 12 tackles (6 solo) and three pass breakups in Thorobreds loss to Lane.
Newcomer of the Week
Ricardo Lockette – Fort Valley State (Jr, WR, 6-3, 200, Albany, GA)
Lockette accounted for 191 all purpose yards and scored two touchdowns against Clark Atlanta. He returned a kickoff 76 yards for a TD and caught six passes for 83 yards and another touchdown.
Co-Special Teams Players of the Week
Jamarion Robinson – Clark Atlanta (Fr, WR, 5-7, 162, Douglasville, GA)
Robinson had four returns for 117 yards including a 78-yard return for a touchdown. Averaged 29 yards per return.
Micah Streiff – Morehouse (Sr., P/K, 5-11, 175, Decatur, GA)
Streiff averaged 39.2 yards on four punts. Three of his punts landed inside the 10 yards line. He also kicked a 40-yard field goal.
Offensive Lineman of the Week
Pedro Bennett – Albany State (Soph, G, 6-6, 390, Montgomery, AL)
Anchored offensive line and helped produce 198 yards in total offense (144 passing, 54 rushing). Only gave up one sack in 21 passing plays and averaged 3.2 yards per offensive play.
Notable Performances
Morehouse LB Jeffrey Cargle recorded 9 tackles (5 solo), two tackles for loss and two sacks in loss to Benedict.
Clark Atlanta DT Reginald Thomas has a team-high 9 tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss in loss to FVSU.
CAU RB Winston Thompson rushed for 74 yards on just 15 carries for a 4.9 ypc average.
FVSU K Jake Grubbs averaged 40 yards per punt, was 3 for 3 on PATs and 1 for 2 on field goal attempts in win over CAU.
Kentucky State LB Cordell Key had 12 tackles in loss to Lane
Albany State RB Kemetrice Johnson returned two kickoffs for 66 yards including a 66 yarder that set up a score to end the first half.
Benedict LB Harry Sneed has 8 tackles (3 solo) in win over Morehouse
Lakeland Florida 9:10 pm on September 2, 2008 Permalink
Black College Football Player of the Week Awards? What? Isn’t that kind of racist? Do they have a Hispanic, Caucasian or Asian Award?
JC 10:00 pm on September 2, 2008 Permalink
Actually, its not the best college football players that are black, but the best football players playing at a historically black college or university.