BIRMINGHAM, ALA. – Mississippi Valley State junior quarterback Dejerric Bryant, Alcorn State redshirt junior linebacker Terry Whittington, and Grambling State senior kicker Marc Orozco were all named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Football Players of the Week in week eight of the season for their outstanding play.
Offensive & Newcomer
Mississippi Valley State
Dejerric Bryant (JR, QB, Mize, Miss.)
Dejerric Bryant turned in the best performance of his Delta Devils career Saturday, rushing for 174 yards and three touchdowns on 23 attempts in leading Valley to a thrilling 48-47 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Mississippi Valley State’s Homecoming Game.
The transfer from Holmes Community College also completed 11-of-19 passes for 117 yards. Bryant saved his best for late, as he led the Delta Devils back from a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter. His 43-yard touchdown run with 1:31 left in the game gave Valley a 34-27 lead – the team’s first lead since the second quarter. In the second overtime session, Bryant needed just two plays – a run of 15 yards and a touchdown scamper of 10 yards – to lead the Delta Devils to the game-winning score, and the team’s first win of 2018.
Defensive
Alcorn State
Terry Whittington (R-JR, LB, Cooper City, Fla.)
Whittington turned in an all-around game for the Braves on Saturday in their 33-26 victory over Grambling State. The redshirt junior notched career-highs of 15 tackles, 6.0 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble. The 4.5 sacks came close to the school record of 5.0 set by Bryant Mix in 1995 against Texas Southern. Whittington’s previous career-highs were 10 tackles, 3.0 tackles for a loss and 1.0 sack.
Specialist
Grambling State
Marc Orozco (SR, K, Denton, Texas)
Orozco had a record-tying game despite Grambling State’s 33-26 loss to Alcorn State. The senior collected 14 points (four field goals and two extra points). The Denton, TX native entered the day 14 points shy of tying the GSU and SWAC All-Time mark in points scored and he matched that with a field goal in the fourth goal. He also booted a career-long 52-yard field goal in the first quarter. Orozco will break Brian Morgan’s GSU and SWAC mark next weekend against Arkansas-Pine Bluff with either a field goal or extra point.
Courtesy: SWAC
