Three members of Prairie View’s 2009 SWAC Championship roster will continue their football careers after signing with the West Texas Roughnecks this past December.
Defensive end Charles Alston, safety Anthony Beck, and wide receiver Anthony Weeden will start new careers in Midland, Texas with the National Indoor Football League this spring.
Coach Heishma Northern, who coached all three players at Prairie View, said, “They will have a lot of success based on what Prairie View has provided them. I look forward to seeing them play.”
A graduate of Channel View High School, Beck was a four-year starter as safety at Prairie View where he recorded 160 tackles and 11 interceptions his senior year. He also holds the school record with three interception returns for touchdowns, earning him back-to-back All SWAC Honors and a spot on the 2009 Sports Nation Football Championship Subdivision All-American Third Team.
An All-American punt returner, Weeden played as a true freshman. His senior year, he caught 21 passes for 386 receiving yards, led the team in punt-return yardage, and also recorded five touchdown passes.
Weeden said, “I’m humbled by the opportunity to play professional football. I realize that only a few people get the opportunity to play at the next level.”
A transfer from the College of Sequoias in Visalia, Calif., Alston finished tenth in tackles at Prairie View his senior year with 23 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss as a key member of the Panthers’ defensive unit.