Sammy Morris Honored
October 04, 1999 | Football
Oct. 4, 1999
DALLAS - Three standout student-athletes have been named as Big 12 Conference Southwestern Bell Players of the Week as superlative performers in media balloting for games of Oct. 2. Texas Tech senior running back Sammy Morris of San Antonio, Texas, is Southwestern Bell Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. Kansas State senior linebacker Mark Simoneau of Smith Center, Kansas, is Defensive Player of the Week. Big 12 Southwestern Bell Specialty Player of the Week is Kansas State junior RB/WR David Allen of Liberty, Mo.
Morris enjoyed a career-best 170 yards rushing on 33 carries as the Red Raiders upended then-fifth-ranked Texas A&M 21-19 at Lubbock. Morris had a hand in 36 of the Red Raiders' 71 offensive plays as he caught three passes for nine yards and had a two-yard touchdown run. It was his first 100-yards-plus game after registering a previous-high 98 yards against Baylor on Oct. 5, 1996. He also scored his first TD since making a 81-yard touchdown reception against Texas A&M in a 13-10 Red Raiders' win at College Station in 1996.
Simoneau led the Wildcats to a clutch, 35-17 win at Texas with seven total tackles, a 37-yard pass interception return for a touchdown to help stretch a 18-17 advantage to 25-17, three tackles for losses (-16 yards), and a forced fumble on a sack. He was the inspirational factor as K-State held the Longhorns to three points in the second half to overcome earlier 14-6 and 14-9 deficits. Simoneau made two quarterback sacks and was a strong element in the Wildcats' defense forcing six UT turnovers-three interceptions and three fumbles.
Allen tied the NCAA career record for touchdowns on punt returns with his seventh-a 74-yarder-in the Wildcats' win at Texas. He also had a 35-yard touchdown run from scrimmage and ended the afternoon with six carries for 41 net rushing yards. The Big 12 season recordholder with four punt runbacks for touchdowns in 1998 has raced at least 63 yards on each of his scoring punt returns and had a Big 12-record-equalling 94-yarder against Iowa State on Oct. 25 at Ames, Iowa. He also raised his career total to 1,351 punt return yards-344 yards shy of the all-time record of 1,695 career punt runbacks yards by Lee Nalley of Vanderbilt from 1947-49.