Justin Swider named CCIW Special Teams Player of the Week and to d3football.com Team of the Week

Wheaton, Ill. - Wheaton senior Justin Swider has been named this week's CCIW Special Teams Player of the Week in football, as announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon. Wheaton opened its season on Saturday with a 48-27 victory at Benedictine University. This is Swider's second career Player of the Week award in football, he was named the CCIW Offensive Player of the Week on September 26, 2011.

On Tuesday night Swider was selected to the first d3football.com Team of the Week for the 2013 season. Swider currently leads Division III in kickoff returns with an average of 63.5 yards per return

Swider, a tailback and return man for the Thunder had 146 yards on returns on Saturday evening at Benedictine. He had a career-best 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter during the Thunder's 48-27 win over Benedictine on Saturday. His touchdown immediately followed a touchdown that gave Benedictine a 13-10 lead and Swider's touchdown gave Wheaton the lead right back en route to the eventual victory. For the evening he returned two kickoffs for a total of 127 yards and he returned two punts for 19 yards.

In 2012 Swider was tabbed as a Third Team All-Region pick as a kick returner and he earned First Team All-CCIW honors as a returner. Swider returned 20 kickoffs last fall for 537 yards, averaging 26.9 yards per return, ranking 12th in Division III in yards per return.

Wheaton is currently ranked 15th in this week's d3football.com Top-25 poll with a 1-0 start the season. The Thunder will host Albion College at 7 PM this Saturday in Wheaton's home opener at McCully Stadium on the Wheaton campus.

Originally published by Wheaton College Athletics: /news/2013/9/9/FB_0909132206.aspx