---
"title": "SWAC Football Players Of The Week – Week 1"
"description": "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 […]"
"date": "2008-09-01"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "HBCU Sports"
"url": "https://hbcusports.com/2008/09/01/swac-football-players-of-the-week/"
"categories":
  - "Football"
"tags":
  - "Grambling"
  - "Jackson State"
  - "Prairie View"
---

# SWAC Football Players Of The Week – Week 1

![swac.gif](http://www.tspnsports.com/wp-content/uploads/swac.gif "swac.gif")**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.