There has been no shortage of individual awards handed out to members of the Weber State University football team this season.
Redshirt freshman running back Josh Davis, senior linebacker Landon Stice, sophomore wide receiver and return specialist Rashid Shaheed and senior safety Jawian Harrison Jr. have all garnered weekly awards.
Davis, who played in only one game before suffering a season-ending injury in 2017, was named STATS FCS National Freshman of the Week after the second game of the season. In that Sept. 8 contest, Davis ran for 177 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a 24–17 win at Cal Poly.
Davis was also named to the Jerry Rice Award watch list, which will honor the top freshman in the nation after the season. However, he said team success is more important to him than individual accomplishments.
“Nothing is individual in this game,” Davis said. “It is the whole offense, defense and special teams combined. It is a good award, but it is a team award.”
Davis has gained momentum, racking up four rushing touchdowns through five games. He has also gained 206 punt return yards, including a 75-yard runback for a touchdown in a 14–6 victory over Eastern Washington University on Oct. 13.
“It definitely set the tone,” Davis said. “If you watch the replay, there were big blocks. You had (freshman offensive lineman) Noah (Atagi) laying out a guy. (Senior cornerback) Parker Preator made the final block.”
Stice was awarded Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week after his efforts in a 27–10 triumph over South Dakota on Sept. 15. when Stice recorded a fumble recovery and return for a touchdown, an interception and six tackles.
“I was definitely in the perfect position at the right time,” Stice said. “We had a bunch of guys making plays around me.”
Stice said he and his teammates view the accolades as motivation.
“We don’t look at it as patting ourselves on the back,” Stice said. “You can do it for a bit, but you have to think, ‘What more can we get?’
Through the first six games of the season, Stice has the fumble recovery for a touchdown as well as three interceptions.
Shaheed earned Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week following a Sept. 22 performance, scoring two touchdowns, one in the air and the other on a 100-yard kickoff return. The runback marked the second time in 11 months that Shaheed ran the length of the field for a score.
Shaheed scored a total of four touchdowns through six games to start the season, including a 46-yard reception in the win over Eastern Washington.
Harrison Jr. was a wrecking crew against EWU, as he picked up nine tackles and a game-sealing interception with under two minutes left. He was named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
Overall, Harrison Jr. has played a role in three turnovers, as he forced fumbles in the first two games of the season.
