SUWANEE, Ga. -- The inaugural D3Football.com Team of the Week for the 2024 season was announced on Tuesday and a pair of Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) athletes were recognized for their performances during the opening weekend of the year.

SCAC Special Teams Player of the Week, junior linebacker Tristan Smith of Texas Lutheran University and first year defensive back Jacob Wilson of Centenary College were both recognized at the national level this week.

Smith blocked a punt that he recovered and returned for a touchdown in Saturday night's win against then-No. 13 Trinity. Midway through the first quarter after both teams had exchanged punts, Smith burst through the line, blocked a Trinity punt and then scooped the ball up and rambled 12 yards to paydirt to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead, a lead they never relinquished.

Wilson had a pair of interceptions on Saturday night in the Gents' season-opening loss at home to Hendrix. His second pick of the game led to a Centenary TD two plays later. Wilson finished with two solo tackles to go with his two picks.

The Team of the Week is D3football.com's weekly honor roll, in its 26th season of recognizing the top performance at each position from the previous week. Players are selected from nominations from their school's sports information directors.

Smith is the first TLU athlete to earn D3football.com National Team of the Week honors since kicker Joaquin Rodriguez was recognized back in week nine of the 2023 season, while Wilson’s award in the first in program history for Centenary. Both Smith and Wilson are the first SCAC athletes to earn national recognition since Southwestern’s Brandon Fleischmann secured accolades in November of 2016.

To view the entire D3football.com Team of the Week, click here.