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North Carolina A&T football duo tops in FCS in kick returns, tackles

Despite team’s rough start, Taymon Cooke and BJ Turner lead the nation after week six

Published

October 10, 2023

Taymon Cooke has recorded a kick-six twice this season, including Saturday's game against Villanova. (Photo by Kevin L. Dorsey | Courtesy NC A&T athletics)

It has been a tough season for North Carolina A&T thus far, but kick-returner Taymon Cooke and linebacker BJ Turner have been bright spots. Both lead the nation in major statistical categories coming out of week six.

Cooke, from Bluefield, Va., has the top kickoff return average among FCS players at 38.9 yards per game. That’s more than two yards ahead of Xaviah Bascon of Harvard (36.7), who is next on the list and four yards better than the third-place returner from Merrimack, Donovan Wadley (34.8).

Cooke is also tied for the national lead in kickoff return touchdowns with a pair. Only Cooke and Rahkeem Smith of Deleware State from the FCS have brought two kick returns back for scores this season.

Cooke earned his second touchdown on Saturday against Villanova, bringing a kick back 94 yards. His first came in the rivalry game with North Carolina Central in early September.

Turner, a redshirt senior from Greensboro (Page HS), leads the FCS in solo tackles per game, averaging 8.4 per contest. He’s made 42 solo stops in five games thus far. Turner ranks sixth in total tackles (solos and assists), collecting 12.4 per contest. He’s tied for 14th in tackles-for-loss, averaging 1.6 per game.

Turner, a graduate student who transferred to A&T from Charlotte, had eight tackles — including two tackles-for-loss — against Villanova.

NC A&T (1-4) will try to get back to winning ways this Saturday, visiting Delaware at 3 p.m. Another steep challenge awaits, as the Blue Hens sit at 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference. Delaware’s only loss came to Penn State earlier in the year. The Hens’ CAA wins have come against New Hampshire and Stony Brook.