NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Carson-Newman junior defensive back Desmond Fairell (Miami, Fla.) turned in a remarkable 13-minute stretch in Saturday's 63-10 C-N win over Virginia-Lynchburg that has led to a weekly accolade for the Florida native.
Fairell was named Tennessee Sportswriters Association State Defensive Player of the Week Wednesday afternoon following his performance against the Dragons. Fairell adds the TSWA laurel to a SAC defensive player of the week honor he picked up as a sophomore.
✌ picks
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) October 24, 2018
☝️ punt return for a touchdown. @D2_Fairell is the 5⃣th @cnfootball honoree for the TSWA State Defensive Player of the Week award this year. pic.twitter.com/r9bFQ8MbF3
Fairell joins Alonzo Houston (once) and Temoris Coats (three times) as players to be recognized by the TSWA for state defensive player of the week honors this year.
The junior snagged two interceptions and took a punt return 70 yards to the house in a span of 13 minutes in the second quarter of Carson-Newman's win Saturday. He also had a tackle on the day.
The picks give Fairell his second career multi-interception day. He leads the SAC with four this year and is top 25 in the nation for interceptions per game. The interceptions represent his 11th and 12th career interceptions.
That 70-yard punt return thooooo ���� ���� @D2_Fairell
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) October 20, 2018
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They move him into a tie for eighth on C-N's all-time picks list with Carson-Newman Hall of Famer Joe Fishback. His next interception will move him into a tie for seventh on the all-time list with Tim Foutz (13 picks from 1983-84). JJ Simmons sits in sixth with 15 from 1995-98.
Fairell's 70-yard punt return for a score was the first of punt return touchdown of his career and the first for Carson-Newman in a decade and two weeks. Reggie Hubbard brought one back, strangely enough, 70 yards against Mars Hill in 2008.
Fairell and the rest of the Eagles are in action Saturday at Tusculum when the two teams renew the second oldest rivalry in the state of Tennessee. Coverage for the contest starts at 12:30 p.m. on the Eagle Sports Network with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), Mountain Country 106.3 (WPTF-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
