Football Student-Athlete Earns Weekly Heart Award, Sets New Program Record
Marshall, Mo., (Sept. 22, 2025)- A Missouri Valley College football student-athlete has earned a weekly award from the Heart of America Athletic Conference for his play in Saturday's win at Culver-Stockton (Mo.).
Junior Wide Receiver Jesse Johnson (St. Louis, Mo.) has been named the Heart Football Special Teams Player of the Week, presented by Musco Lighting, after helping the Vikings to a 48-41 win at Culver-Stockton. Johnson returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, making the play in the final seconds of the first half. Johnson finished the game with 177 kickoff return yards, which set a new program-record for a single-game. The previous record was 170 yards set by current Head Coach LaQuentin Black against Ottawa (Kan.) in the 2012 season.
This is the first weekly award for Campbell in his career at Missouri Valley, and he becomes the first player on the team to win a weekly award this season.
The Viking football team improved to 2-1 record, and will open play in the Heart South Division with a home game against Baker (Kan.), Saturday at 1 p.m., inside Volney C. Ashford Stadium for Family Weekend. It's a matchup of the two winningest programs in NAIA-history. Baker has 655 wins, and Missouri Valley has 646 wins.
About Missouri Valley College
Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.