ATLANTA — The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its Football Players of the Week on Tuesday, Oct. 14, honoring student-athletes for impressive performances in games played last week.
Brinley Vandiver (
Miles),
Darrian Bell (
Savannah State),
Israel Nwokocha (
Benedict),
Jaxon Williams (
Benedict) and
Zach Underwood (
Morehouse) were recognized.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – BRINLEY VANDIVER, MILES COLLEGE
Quarterback | R-Junior | Davenport, Fla.
Vandiver went 19-of-27 for 257 yards and two touchdowns as Miles earned its first win of the season over Lane.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – DARRIAN BELL, SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY
Linebacker | Graduate | Danville, Ky.
Bell finished with a game-high 23 tackles, including one tackle for loss, two pass breakups, and the game-clinching fumble recovery in overtime in Savannah State’s 23-20 road victory over Allen.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – ISRAEL NWOKOCHA, BENEDICT COLLEGE
Defensive Lineman | Graduate | Atlanta, Ga.
Nwokocha led a Benedict defense that held Fort Valley State to just two first downs in the second half of the Tigers’ 14-7 victory. He led the Tiger defense with 10 tackles, which included 3.5 tackles for loss for -10 yards, and 2.5 sacks for -9 yards, and one quarterback hurry. After the Wildcats had a nine-play, 93-yard scoring drive in the second quarter, they never advanced into Benedict territory for the remainder of the game.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – JAXON WILLIAMS, BENEDICT COLLEGE
Wide Receiver | Sophomore | Dothan, Ala.
Williams continues to be one of the most electrifying kickoff return specialists in the country. Against Fort Valley State, he returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown, his second kickoff return for a score this season. He had two returns for 112 yards against the Wildcats. In addition, he had two receptions for 44 yards on offense, including a 29-yard touchdown reception, to account for both of Benedict's touchdowns in their 14-7 victory.
NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK – ZACH UNDERWOOD, MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
Linebacker | R-Freshman | Montgomery, Ala.
Underwood was the most disruptive defender on the field, creating takeaways and negative plays that directly shaped the outcome in a one-score game. He anchored a front that produced four sacks, three fumble recoveries, and a defensive score; his consistent pressure collapsed the pocket and flipped field position. Underwood delivered multiple drive-killing plays in the second half, including a sack and strip that halted CSU’s rally. The victory secured Morehouse’s second straight win — the program’s first back-to-back since 2021.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.