Week One Sun Belt Conference Football Players of the Week – As selected by the Sun Belt media panel

Offensive Player of the Week

Shawn Southward (Troy, Sr., Running Back)
The 2009 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Shawn Southward put on an impressive display in Troy’s season opener as he rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries in Troy’s 39-29 victory over UAB. Southward averaged 7.3 yards per carry and his rushing total was the sixth most in a game in Troy history. His three rushing touchdowns are one shy of the school record and moved him into fourth place on the Troy career rushing touchdown record. Southward’s longest run of the afternoon was a 55-yard burst. He became the first Trojan since 2010 to rush for over 100 yards and the first since 2009 to break the 2009 plateau. Southward’s rushing total on Saturday was equal to 37 percent of his total from all of 2011. Southward's rushing total was the fifth most in the NCAA over the weekend.

Defensive Player of the Week

De’Von Terry (Troy, Sr., Linebacker)
Playing in his first football game since 2007, walk-on senior linebacker De’Von Terry had an interception, recovered a fumble and had five tackles in Troy’s 39-29 victory at UAB on Saturday. Terry’s first big play came as UAB was about to score its first points of the game, but the linebacker pounced on a fumble at the Troy 2-yard line. With Troy leading 25-23 in the fourth quarter, Terry intercepted UAB quarterback Jonathan Perry at the Troy 48-yard line; two plays later Troy found the end zone and put the game out of reach.

Special Teams Player of the Week

Brett Baer (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., K/P)
Baer picked right up from where he left off, connecting on a career-high 4 field goals (52, 40, 39 & 32 yards) and converting all four extra points as part of a record-setting day. Baer set the school record for consecutive field goals made with 15 (old record 14 by Mike Shafer in 1994) and tied the school mark for points in a game by a kicker with 16 (Rafael Septien in 1974 & Mike Lemoine in 1989). Baer’s 52-yard field goal to open the scoring was the longest of his career and tied for the seventh longest in school history. In addition, Baer punted three times for 125 yards (41.7) with a pair of punts downed inside the 20 and none of the three punts returned.