Weber State notebook: Shaheed, Johnson post NFL highlights; Small honored
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- Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) scores a rushing touchdown past Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Elijah Molden (2) during an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Seattle. (Lindsey Wasson, Associated Press)
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- Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker (9) is caught by Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Taron Johnson (3) in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Las Vegas. (John Locher, Associated Press)
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- Philadelphia 76ers player Dillon Jones (35) collides with New York’s Pacome Dadiet (4) during an NBA preseason game Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Philadelphia. (Matt Slocum, Associated Press)
Two Weber State alums caught the spotlight for two individual plays during Week 6 of the NFL season over the weekend, while a current player grabbed weekly honors and a basketball alum took the court for his new team.
Shaheed the running back
Wide receiver and return specialist Rashid Shaheed got back to his earliest NFL roots Sunday as the Seattle Seahawks hosted the Los Angeles Chargers.
With its running back group thinning, the Seahawks lined Shaheed up deep in the backfield where he took a pitch from Sam Darnold going left. Shaheed found the edge, made a man miss and used good blocking to speed to a 28-yard rushing touchdown that put Seattle up 13-3 in the second quarter.
Shaheed began his career as an undrafted free agent for the New Orleans Saints. After rehabbing from a knee injury in his WSU finale, Shaheed’s first NFL touch was on a rushing attempt in October 2022, a play in which he ran for a 44-yard touchdown.
The Seahawks traded for Shaheed for last year’s playoff push and he returned both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown for Seattle. He signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Seahawks in March.
Sunday, Shaheed finished with two rushes for 33 yards, one reception for 20 yards, three kick returns for 83 yards and two punt returns for 12 yards.
“He wears a lot of hats for us on offense,” Darnold said in a report from the Associated Press. “He obviously does great in special teams as well. So, it’s awesome to be able to see him do his thing.”
Seattle is 3-1 so far this season.
Johnson gives chase
Former Weber State cornerback and veteran NFL safety Taron Johnson turned heads with his speed and effort as the Las Vegas Raiders hosted Kansas City.
Kansas City’s Kenneth Walker III was in the midst of a 76-yard run up the right sideline but many online noticed Johnson’s run from across the field to cut Walker down at the 8-yard line on the final play of the third quarter.
Unfortunately for Johnson, the Raiders couldn’t keep the Chiefs out of the end zone. Kansas City scored a touchdown two plays later in what became a high-scoring fourth quarter and the Chiefs took a 30-27 victory in a battle of undefeateds. Las Vegas is now 3-1 to start the season.
Small named defensive player of the week
Weber State defensive end Porter Small grabbed weekly conference honors. The sophomore was named this week’s Big Sky defensive player of the week for key plays to help the Wildcats to a two-overtime road win at Cal Poly.
Small finished with five tackles, including four for loss and three sacks, in the 42-34 win. His final sack of regulation came after Cal Poly milked more than 5 minutes off the clock but the sack forced Cal Poly out of field goal range and got WSU the ball back in time to send the game to overtime with a field goal.
His final sack came on third down in the second overtime. With WSU leading, he dropped Anthony Grigsby Jr. for a 10-yard loss, forcing Cal Poly into a fourth-and-19 from the WSU 34 and an eventual incomplete heave to the end zone.
Jones suits up for 76ers
Former Weber State men’s basketball star Dillon Jones got his first chance to suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers as the team opened its slate of preseason games Monday.
Jones logged 18 minutes in his team’s 120-97 win over his former squad, the New York Knicks. He totaled 11 points, six rebounds and two assists on 4-of-6 shooting and a 4-of-4 mark at the foul line, posting a team-high plus-21 in the plus-minus column.
The Sixers got newly signed Jaylen Brown on the court for the first time, but LeBron James and Joel Embiid did not play.
Jones is a two-time NBA champion, winning in 2024 with Oklahoma City, who drafted him in the first round, and with New York as a two-way player last season. He’s on a preseason camp deal with the 76ers, who do have a two-way slot still open.
