COLLEGES

University of Maine senior receiver/kick returner Earnest Edwards was named the STATS FCS national special teams player of the week on Monday, just hours after he had received the same honor from the Colonial Athletic Association.

Edwards returned two second-half kickoffs for touchdowns in Maine’s 35-21 win over Colgate on Saturday, the first for 100 yards, the second for 95. His 198 kickoff return yards set a school record and he now has a Maine record six career kickoff returns for touchdowns.

“He’s an electric player, an electric personality,” said Maine Coach Nick Charlton. “He’s a lot of fun to deal with … When the ball is in his hands, he can be special. He has elite speed.”

Edwards also caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Chris Ferguson in the victory, which evened Maine’s record at 2-2.

OBIT: Jevan Snead, the former Mississippi quarterback who ranks among the school’s career passing leaders, has died in Texas aged 32.

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Police say officers responding to a deceased-person call found Snead dead in Austin Saturday night. Austin police provided no information except to say Snead’s death isn’t considered suspicious.

BASKETBALL: Louisville says forward Malik Williams will miss six to eight weeks with a broken right foot, leaving the Cardinals without their third-leading returning rebounder for the early part of the season.

SOCCER

HONORS: Lionel Messi won his sixth FIFA player of the year award, while Megan Rapinoe won her first at a lavish ceremony at Milan’s iconic Teatro all Scala.

Rapinoe was rewarded at the FIFA Best awards for leading the United States to the women’s World Cup title in July, as was Jill Ellis who won the women’s coach award.

Rapinoe scored six goals in the tournament, earning her the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer and the Golden Ball as the top player.

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HOCKEY

NHL: The Tampa Bay Lightning signed restricted free agent forward Brayden Point to a $20.25 million, three-year contract.

Point will count $6.75 million against the salary cap through the 2022-23 season. Point’s contract ends a long stalemate with the Lightning that caused the budding 23-year-old star to miss most of training camp.

OLYMPICS

DOPING: The World Anti-Doping Agency is giving Russia three weeks to explain possible signs of tampering with data from its doping laboratory, an accusation which Russian officials fear could lead to a ban from next year’s Olympics.

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