GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College freshman Satiir Stevenson earned the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's (ODAC) Defensive Football Player of the Week Award Sunday. He becomes Guilford's first winner of the league's weekly football honor this season. In addition, Stevenson received Guilford College Student-Athlete of the Week Award, as presented by the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
A 5-11, 180-pound free safety, Stevenson picked off a deflected pass near midfield and returned it 55 yards for a key touchdown in the Quakers' 34-27 comeback win at the Catholic University of America Nov. 5. Stevenson's second touchdown of the season tied the score at 20-20 late in the second quarter after Catholic took a 20-6 lead 20 seconds into the frame. Stevenson added seven tackles (3 solo) to the Quakers' defensive effort, which held the Cardinals to seven points over the final three quarters.
One of three Guilford freshmen to start all nine games this year, Stevenson shares the team lead with two interceptions, the ODAC's ninth-highest total. He stands 30th in the league with 5.2 tackles per game and fourth on the team with 47 total stops (34 solo). Stevenson tops the Quakers with three pass breakups and also has 2.5 tackles for loss. He scored his first touchdown on the year Oct. 15 on a 12-yard fumble return at Bridgewater College.
Stevenson is one of the many first- and second-year students contributing to rookie head coach Chris Rusiewicz's Quakers (2-7, 1-4 ODAC) this season. Guilford hosts league-rival Emory & Henry College Saturday (11/12) at 1:00 p.m. in both teams' season finale.
The Student-Athlete of the Week Award is presented by Guilford's SAAC, which is comprised of representatives from each of the school's 20 varsity teams. The group meets regularly to discuss the state of Guilford Athletics and seeks to build community among student-athletes and non-student-athletes. Recent Guilford SAAC activities include cancer-awareness promotions, canned-food drives, volunteer assistance with the North Carolina Special Olympics and tutoring at New Garden Friends School.