Thompson, McCulloch and Cain Named OurSports Central USFL Players of the Week
by Fran Stuchbury
May 8, 2023 - United States Football League (USFL)
Memphis Showboats
Houston Gamblers running back Mark Thompson, Memphis Showboats defensive end Jeff McCulloch, and Birmingham Stallions wide receiver Deon Cain were named the OurSports Central United States Football League Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Unsung Hero of the Week, respectively, for week four of the USFL season.
Thompson ran 13 times for 134 yards, three touchdowns, and added one reception for eight yards in the Gamblers' 41-16 trouncing of the Philadelphia Stars. Thompson, who missed the first two weeks of the USFL season, has 215 yards and five rushing touchdowns in the last two games.
Thompson, in his second season with the Gamblers, played college football at Florida.
Honorable mention goes to New Orleans Breakers running back Wes Hills with 88 yards rushing and two touchdowns plus seven receptions for 71 yards in the Breakers' 20-17 win over the New Jersey Generals, maintaining a perfect 4-0 start for New Orleans.
Defensively, McCulloch finished with five total tackles, one sack, two passes defensed and a forced fumble which he returned returned 34 yards for a touchdown in the Showboats' 29-10 decision over the Michigan Panthers. He helped a Memphis defense, which had given up an average of 33 points per game, hold the Panthers offense to only 10 points.
McCulloch played college football at Texas, and this is his second season in the USFL after playing for the Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022.
McCulloch's strip-sack touchdown return off Michigan quarterback Josh Love closed out the scoring.
New Orleans Breakers linebacker Vontae Diggs earned an honorable mention with 12 total tackles, two for a loss, and half a sack.
Deon Cain raced 91 yards with the game-winning kickoff return for a touchdown in the Birmingham Stallions' come-from-behind 24-20 victory over the Pittsburgh Maulers. Cain has returned kicks for TDs two weeks in a row after scoring on an 82-yard return to open the game against the New Orleans Breakers last week.
The Indianapolis Colts made Cain a sixth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and he also played with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019 and 2020. On March 3, 2023 he signed with Birmingham.
Cain's game-winning kick return touchdown improved the Stallions to 3-1 this season in the South Division.
Previous Winners
United States Football League Stories from May 8, 2023
- USFL Players of the Week: Mark Thompson, Deon Cain Dazzle in Week 4 - USFL
- Thompson, McCulloch and Cain Named OurSports Central USFL Players of the Week - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Thompson, McCulloch and Cain Named OurSports Central USFL Players of the Week - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Thompson, McCulloch and Cain Named OurSports Central USFL Players of the Week - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
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