Lynch, Odom and Luani Named OurSports Central USFL Players of the Week
by Fran Stuchbury
June 20, 2022 - United States Football League (USFL)
Michigan Panthers quarterback Paxton Lynch, Houston Gamblers defensive end Chris Odom, and New Jersey Generals safety Shalom Luani were named the OurSports Central United States Football League Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Unsung Hero of the Week, respectively, for week ten of the USFL season.
Lynch completed 22 of 30 passes for 275 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and added 19 yards rushing in the Michigan Panthers' 33-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Maulers. That victory earned Michigan the first pick in every round of the 2023 USFL Draft. His favorite target was wide receiver Ishmael Hyman who caught six passes for 71 yards and one touchdown.
Lynch played college football at Memphis and was selected in the first round, 26th overall, in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He played two seasons in Denver before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019. In 2021 he played with the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders. Lynch was selected by the Michigan Panthers in the 12th round of the 2022 USFL Draft.
Here are highlights from Lynch's stellar performance against the Pittsburgh Maulers:
An honorable mention on offense goest to New Jersey Generals quarterback Luis Perez who completed 14 of 18 throws for 138 yards and three touchdowns in their victory over the Philadelphia Stars.
Chris Odom finished with five tackles, two solo, one and a half sacks and a blocked field goal in the Houston Gamblers' 20-3 victory over the New Orleans Breakers. Odom led the USFL with 12.5 sacks this season.
Odom's fourth blocked field goal of the season was returned by Jeremiah Johnson 77 yards for a touchdown.
With the Philadelphia Stars driving down the field to either tie the game with a field goal or win with a touchdown, Shalom Luani intercepted a Case Cookus pass to seal the victory in New Jersey's 26-23 win over Philadelphia.
Luani's fifth interception of the season placed him second in the USFL.
Luani's interception with 1:01 left in the game extended the Generals' winning streak to nine games:
Previous Winners
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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
