Benton’s Ryder Dodson wins Times Athlete of the Week 1 football poll
Benton linebacker Ryder Dodson secured the Shreveport Times Athlete of the Week title after a massive fan vote.
Ryder Dodson, a defensive standout for Benton's football team, has been named the 2026 Week 1 Football Athlete of the Week by the Shreveport Times. The honor was voted on in an online poll sponsored by Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, and Silmon and Cosse Orthodontics. Dodson received 42,269 votes, or 41%, of the 109,927 votes cast, outpacing second-place finisher Dominic Rinaudo of Loyola with 38,237 votes (37.1%).
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior linebacker from Benton is now set to receive a backpack, a boxed lunch combo, and other swag from Raising Cane’s and Cosse and Silmon for his impressive performance. Coach Steve Dennis praised Dodson's veteran leadership and his strong performance throughout the offseason, looking forward to his role in leading the linebacker position group for the 2026 season.
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