BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Defensive end Eldridge Shelton and wide receiver/return man Daionte "DJ" Hicks of the Alabama State University football team were both recognized with Player of the Week honors by the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), the organization announced Monday afternoon.

Shelton was named the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week, while Hicks collected SWAC Special Teams Player of the Week. It was the first honor of the year for the Alabama State football team, and the tandem's first career honors, highlighting their respective breakout campaigns in the Hornets' 41-15 victory over the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils this past Saturday.

Shelton got things started for Bama State right out of the gate, recovering a forced fumble on Valley's fifth play of the game that directly benefited his fellow award winner Hicks, who caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Frye two plays later.

For Hicks, however, it wasn't his receiving that caught the SWAC's attention. He emerged from the locker room after the halftime break and found himself as the first Hornet to touch the ball in the second half, receiving a kickoff on the two-yard line on the visitor's side of the field. The Orlando, Fla., native slipped through 35 yards of Delta Devils players attempting tackles while cutting across the field towards the ASU sideline before running scot-free for 50 yards to cap off his 98-yard touchdown.

Hicks' return continued the relentless Alabama State scoring attack, as the score was part of a 21-9 ASU second-half advantage to seal the win. The 98-yard return was the longest such runback since a 99-yard return by Nehemiah Hixon last season in the first quarter of a 42-24 win over Texas Southern.

As the game wound down, Shelton continued to play lights-out defense against the worn-down Delta Devils. He sacked the quarterback and caused a fumble with just over six minutes remaining and stuffed a third-down running effort to cut the drive short.

The sophomore Birmingham, Ala., native had six total tackles (four solo) and 3.5 tackles for loss to set the opponents back 12 yards, both team highs. He also led ASU with a pair of sacks while forcing two of the Delta Devils' five fumbles, putting himself squarely at the center of defensive coordinator Billy Gresham's game plan on the day.

Hicks, meanwhile, made the most of the three opportunities he got on the day, adding a 29-yard kickoff return to his first quarter catch and big return at the beginning of the third quarter.

Shelton, Hicks and the rest of the Hornets football team are in action this Saturday, Oct. 3, as the team crosses state lines into Florida to take on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at 3 p.m. Central Time at Daytona Stadium. It returns home for Homecoming Weekend against Florida A&M on Saturday, Oct. 10, for a 3 p.m. meeting with the Rattlers at ASU Stadium.