Aeneas Williams Award to honor college football's best defensive back from HBCU school

Aeneas Williams celebrates an interception return for a touchdown for the then-St. Louis Rams in 2002.
Aeneas Williams celebrates an interception return for a touchdown for the then-St. Louis Rams in 2002.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Aeneas Williams Award to honor top HBCU defensive back

The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, which presents the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award to NCAA Division I football's top defensive back, has implemented the Aeneas Williams Award. The Aeneas Williams Award will go to the top defensive back from a Division I Historically Black Colleges & Universities institution. The award will be based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.

The contribution of HBCUs to the landscape of college football and the National Football League has forever left an impact on the game. HBCUs hold a rich athletic tradition, tied to the game of football, that continues to exemplify the culture of these schools for over the past century.

“I am honored and grateful to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame & the Jim Thorpe Association for this amazing opportunity to use my name to honor the nation’s top defensive back from Historically Black Colleges & Universities," Williams said in a release.

Williams was a junior walk-on at Southern University and led the nation in interceptions as a senior. The New Orleans native played in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams. The cornerback played 14 seasons in the NFL, which included eight Pro Bowl selections.

Extra points

COLLEGES: Michigan State has signed coach Tom Izzo to a new deal valued at $6.2 million per season, giving him about $2 million more each year. The school announced the deal Thursday, saying that the five-year rollover contract will need to be approved by its board next month.

OKC DODGERS: J.P. Martinez hit a two-run single in the top of the ninth inning, then Round Rock escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the inning to notch a 5-3 PCL baseball win over Oklahoma City on Wednesday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. OKC (62-45) lost its fourth straight game after failing to score with one out and the bases loaded in the ninth. Express pitcher Demarcus Evans struck out Miguel Vargas and Michael Busch grounded out to end the game. Round Rock (57-50) has won the first-two games if the six-game set.

NFL: Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch was asleep and smelled of alcohol when Las Vegas police found him in his damaged sports car and arrested him on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to an arrest report made public Thursday. Lynch’s attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, responded in a statement that Lynch’s car “was safely parked and not in operation” when police arrived early Tuesday and a driving while intoxicated charge won’t stick.

AUTO RACING: Kurt Busch says he pushed himself too hard trying to return to NASCAR competition and will miss his fourth consecutive Cup Series race because of concussion-like symptoms. Busch has been out since crashing in qualifying on July 23 at Pocono Raceway. He had hoped to be back in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing on Sunday at Richmond Raceway. Ty Gibbs will again replace Busch in the car.

Staff and wire reports

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: College football: Top HBCU DB will receive Aeneas Williams Award