Simonhoff, White earn national acclaim for roles

Both players pull in honors for their strong performances in Saturday's win.

Southeast Missourian

Southeast Missouri State University football players Kellin White and David Simonhoff have been recognized nationally for their performances during Saturday's 35-7 win over Tennessee-Martin.

White, a junior cornerback, on Tuesday was selected the national Division I-AA defensive player of the week by Don Hansen's Football Gazette.

Also on Tuesday, sophomore punter Simonhoff was named the national specialist of the week by I-AA.org.

"It's a nice honor for Kellin and David. They're very deserving," Southeast coach Tim Billings said. "They're both having really good seasons for us."

White returned two interceptions for touchdowns Saturday, 61-yard and 35-yard scores in the third quarter that helped turn what had been a 7-7 halftime tie into a blowout.

White has four interceptions this season, three of which he has returned for touchdowns. He is tied for fifth in the OVC and ranks 22nd nationally in interceptions per game.

Simonhoff averaged 51.5 yards on six punts Saturday, including kicks of 82 and 71 yards. He ranks second nationally with a league-high average of 46.4 yards per punt.

On Sunday, White was named the Ohio Valley Conference defensive player of the week and Simonhoff was recognized as the conference's special teams player of the week.

Southeast (2-6, 2-3 OVC) returns to action Saturday night at Tennessee State (3-5, 1-3).