Ex-Buc Hatcher earns weekly conference honor

Posted Oct 19, 2009 by Adam Adkins

Updated Oct 19, 2009 at 09:19 PM

On Saturday, Richmond football player Derek Hatcher provided one of the biggest plays for the Spiders in their victory over Maine. On Monday, the former Berkeley Prep standout was honored for his play.

Hatcher was named the Colonial Athletic Association’s Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a punt 90 yards for a touchdown in the Spiders’ 38-21 win. Hatcher’s return, a career long, helped Richmond, the Football Championship Subdivision’s defending national champions, run its unbeaten streak to 15 games while improving its 2009 record to 6-0.

Hatcher, a senior who also plays safety for the Spiders, has been one of the top kick returns in FCS this season. He leads the CAA and is 11th nationally among FCS teams with a 12.6 yards per punt return average.

Hatcher’s 90-yard punt return was two yards shy of a school record and three yards shy of the conference mark. It was the second punt return for a touchdown in Hatcher’s collegiate career, and he currently is second in Richmond history with 799 career punt return yards.

Hatcher, the son of former major leaguer and former Tampa Bay Devil Rays assistant Billy Hatcher, was a football and basketball standout at Berkeley Prep. He graduated from the school in 2005.

Photo courtesy of Richmond athletics website.