Tusculum’s Judge, Wingate’s Brewer Honored Nationally by Football Gazette

WESTMONT, Ill. --- Tusculum College defensive back Ra'Shun Judge has been named Division II National Co-Defensive Player-of-the-Week by Don Hansen's Football Gazette. Chris Brewer, Wingate University's senior place kicker/punter, was also named the National Special Teams Player-of-the-Week.

Judge, a senior from Hueytown, Ala., shared the weekly honor with Northwood University defensive back John Horn.

Judge blocked a school-record four kicks in Tusculum's 46-18 road win at Concord University, including all three of the Mountain Lions extra point tries. Two of those blocked extra points resulted in defensive point after touchdown returns for the Pioneers, a first in recorded NCAA II history. Judge, who transferred to Tusculum from the University of West Alabama, was also named D2Football.com National Special Teams Player of the Week and South Atlantic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.

No. 12 Tusculum (1-0) returns to action this Saturday night when it hosts seventh-ranked North Alabama (0-0) for a 7:30 p.m. contest. It will be the Pioneers' home opener and the Lions' first game of 2004.

The Football Gazette also honored Wingate University senior place kicker/punter Chris Brewer (Weddington, N.C./Sun Valley HS) as the NCAA Division II special teams "player of the week." Brewer wins the national honor for the for the seventh time in the last two years. Brewer was selected as an honorable mention D2Football.com special teams "player of the week" on Tuesday.

A 6-0, 215 senior, Brewer had four field goals Saturday. Thanks to the efforts of Brewer and his teammates, the Bulldogs opened the 2004 season with a convincing 45-28 win over West Virginia Wesleyan College Saturday afternoon at Cebe Ross Field on the WVWC campus. The 2003 champions of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Bobcats of West Virginia Wesleyan saw a seven-game winning streak end Saturday afternoon.

Brewer had three field goals in the first half as Wingate took a 29-7 lead at the break. His field goals included a career-best 55-yarder as time expired in the second quarter. In the first half, Wingate University scored on six of its seven possessions.

Two of his four field goals topped 50 yards (55 and 51). A 2003 All-American as a punter, Brewer boomed three punts for an average of 45.3 yards per punt against West Virginia Wesleyan. His kick-offs were consistently deep, as he recorded five touchbacks in nine kick-off attempts.

Brewer was named first team All-South Atlantic Conference as a punter and a place kicker in 2003. He made both the 2003 Don Hansen's Football Gazette NCAA Division II All-America team and the 2003 Daktronics, Inc., NCAA Division II All-America football team as a punter.

The staff at Don Hansen's Football Gazette named Brewer NCAA Division II special teams "player of the week" six times last year. In addition, Brewer was named D2football.com special teams "player of the week" one time.

Brewer was a four-time SAC special teams "player of the week" in 2003.