Sunday, January 22, 2017

Bethune-Cookman Alum Eric Weems, N.C.A&T Deji Olatoye, Atlanta Falcons Advance To Super Bowl LI

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Eric Weems became the fourth former Bethune-Cookman football player to advance to the Super Bowl Sunday when the Atlanta Falcons beat the Green Bay Packers 44-21 in the NFC championship game.

Weems joins Larry Little (Super Bowls VI, VIII and VIII), Maulty Moore (Super Bowl VII) and Nick Collins (Super Bowl XLV) as Wildcats who have played for an NFL championship. Little and Moore played the Miami Dolphins' undefeated team of 1972 that defeated the Washington Redskins, and Little went on to win his second Super Bowl the following year when the Dolphins repeated with a win over the Minnesota Vikings.Collins had an interception return for a touchdown in the Green Bay Packers' 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011.




Weems, the former Seabreeze Sandcrab and Wildcat star in his 10th NFL season is averaging 23 yards per kickoff return and 11.4 yards per punt return, including a 73-yarder against Oakland earlier in the season.

On Sunday, he contributed one kickoff return for 23 yards and a punt return for 14 for the Falcons, who got 378 yards and four touchdown passes from Matt Ryan.D


His Wildcat legacy includes 178 receptions, 2,533 receiving yards, a combined 24 touchdowns, a four-touchdown game against Savannah State in his 2003 debut, and a game-winning touchdown against Florida A&M in the 2006 Florida Classic.


Rookie #30 Deji Olatoye, a 25-year old 6-1/200  cornerback and former Aggie from North Carolina A&T State University will also be making the trip as a Falcons active roster player.  Olatoye was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens.


Super Bowl LI is slated for February 5th in Houston.


BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

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