FRISCO – McNeese quarterback Jake Strong, East Texas A&M linebacker Kyree Anderson, and Lamar placekicker Ben Woodard have been named the Southland Conference football weekly award winners for Week 8, the league announced Monday.
Offensive Player of the Week: Jake Strong, McNeese – QB – So. – Justin, Texas (Northwest HS)
Strong tied a single-game school record with three rushing TDs by a quarterback in helping lead McNeese to a 27-0 shutout win over HCU. Strong scored on runs of seven, seven, and 34 yards and ran the ball 16 times for 108 yards for a 6.8 ypc average. He became the first McNeese QB with three rushing TDs since the 2008 season. Strong added 133 yards passing on 14 of 22 to an impressive night.
Honorable Mention: Paul Odidi, East Texas A&M and Aiden McCown, Lamar
Defensive Player of the Week: Kyree Anderson, East Texas A&M – LB – Sr. – Houston, Texas (Cy-Lakes HS)
Anderson totaled 12 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and one sack as well as an interception as the Lions downed the defending SLC champions UIW for the first time in school history to improve to 2-1 in conference play. Anderson's interception came early in the first quarter and he was a catalyst to slowing down the UIW offense in the second half.
Honorable Mention: Jaydon Southard, SFA
Special Teams Player of the Week: Ben Woodard, Lamar – PK – Sr. – Plano, Texas (Plano East HS) – FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week
Woodard capped a banner performance by drilling a school-record 57-yard field goal with 1:03 left, lifting Lamar past UTRGV 23-21 in the Southland Conference. He kicked a 53-yard field goal to end the first half, also connected from 30 yards out and added two PATs for 11 points. Woodard, who is 17 of 19 on field goals over the last two seasons, averaged 63.8 yards on five kickoffs with three touchbacks.
2025 Southland Football Players of the Week
| Date |
Offensive |
Defensive |
Special Teams |
| Sept. 1 |
Miequle Brock, Jr., Nicholls |
Fernando Washington, Northwestern State |
Cooper Evans, Northwestern State |
| Sept. 8 |
Nathan Denney, UTRGV |
Kristian Pugh, Lamar |
Ben Woodard, Lamar |
| Sept. 15 |
Jake Strong, McNeese |
Andrew Huff, Lamar |
Kendric Malone, Lamar |
| Sept. 22 |
Jerrell Wimbley, SFA |
Rodney Dansby, HCU |
Kylon Harris, SFA |
| Sept. 29 |
Jerrell Wimbley, SFA |
Declan Williams, UIW |
Kyndon Fuselier, Lamar |
| Oct. 6 |
Sam Vidlak, SFA |
Jaydon Southard, SFA* |
Kyndon Fuselier, Lamar* |
| Oct. 13 |
Xai'Shaun Edwards, HCU |
Ronnie Hamrick II, Lamar |
Brady Young, HCU |
| Oct. 20 |
Jake Strong, McNeese |
Kyree Anderson, East Texas A&M |
Ben Woodard, Lamar* |
* - Also named Stats Performn National Player of the Week
Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.