<span>New Orleans Saints rookie punter Thomas Morstead has been named the NFC's Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts during the season finale against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.  

Morstead, a 6-4, 225-pound product of Southern Methodist University, was selected by the Saints in the fifth-round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

On Sunday Morstead had a season-high nine punts for 417 yards for a 46.3 average, with a 42.3 net average. Of his nine punts, seven were placed inside the Panthers' 20-yard line. He had two punts downed at the Carolina 9 (neither was returned), one fair caught at the Panthers' 12, a punt downed at the Carolina 4, a punt that was fielded at the Panthers' 16 that was returned for five yards, a 55-yard effort with the Saints backed up deep in their own territory, a punt that was fielded at the Carolina 14 and returned for 0 yards and a punt that bounced out-of-bounds at the Carolina 11-yard line.

This marks the second time that Morstead has been named the NFC's Special Teams Player of the Week, having also earned the award in the Saints' win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in game 10 (11/22/2009).