Southland announces preseason all-league footballers
7/27/2010 10:45:00 AM | Football
Nineteen of the 52 players on the team are returning All-Southland performers from the 2009 season but, for the first time 24 years in the league there are no Bearkats on the all-star squad.
"With only nine starters and 30 lettermen returning from last year's Sam Houston team, not having a selection on the preseason All-Southland squad isn't surprising," new Bearkat head coach Willie Fritz said. "Of the 90 players who will report for the opening of preseason camp on August 5, almost half are newcomers - either freshmen or transfers."
Eight of the nine players who received either first, second or honorable mention All-Southland recognition in 2009 were among the 32 departed lettermen from the 5-6 squad last year.
"Preseason honors are nice but it's the players selected all-conference at the end of the year that go in the record books," Fritz said. "We're going to have a lot of newcomers, freshmen and transfers, in the lineup. We're starting from scratch but I think that's exciting.
Jarvis Pippins, senior defensive back and one of the two student-athletes representing Sam Houston at Southland Media Day said, "Something like this just makes us want to do better and prove the predictions wrong. Everybody worked hard in spring ball and we're going to work even harder when fall camp begins in August."
Returning players who were named All-Southland first or second team in 2009 are automatically listed on the 2010 squad. Remaining positions were decided by vote of the league's head coaches.
Stephen F. Austin senior quarterback Jeremy Moses, senior defensive back Andre Banks and McNeese State sophomore defensive back Malcolm Bronson highlight the 2010 Southland Conference preseason all-conference teams.
Moses was named the Southland's co-player of the year in 2009, while Banks received newcomer of the year honors and Bronson took home the freshman of the year award. Nine first-team members and 19 second-team selections on listed on the 2010 squad.
McNeese State led all universities with 14 selections, including a conference-best seven first-team honorees. Stephen F. Austin had 12 selections, including five first-team members.
The McNeese Cowboys return 15 starters from a team that recorded a share of its league-leading 13th Southland Conference title in 2009, its sixth in the past 10 years, and made its 14th appearance in the FCS playoffs.
Bronson, a native of Jasper, Texas, led the Cowboys in tackles last season with 67, including 42 solo stops. His tackle total tied for the 18th-best total in the Southland, and was the second highest total among league freshmen.
Moses led the Southland Conference and all NCAA Division I FCS quarterbacks with 4,124 yards, 40 touchdowns and 385 completions. His 68 percent completion percentage ranked third nationally and his 145.13 passing effi ciency mark ranked 14th among FCS quarterbacks a year ago.
2010 PRESEASON ALL-SOUTHLAND
CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM
First Team Offense
QB - Jeremy Moses Stephen F. Austin 6-0 200 Sr.
RB - Champlain Babin McNeese State 5-10 195 So.
RB - Jackie Hinton Central Arkansas 5-11 200 So.
FB - Rico Moss Central Arkansas 6-1 236 Sr.
WR - Da'Marcus Griggs Texas State 6-1 185 Sr.
WR - Willie Landers Central Arkansas 6-2 204 Sr.
TE - Simmie Yarborough Southeastern La. 6-1 205 Jr.
OL- D.J. Hall Texas State 6-3 300 Jr.
OL - Miguel Gauthreaux McNeese State 6-1 291 Jr.
OL - Austin Emerson Central Arkansas 6-3 292 Sr.
OL - Michael Booker Northwestern State 6-3 314 Sr.
OL - Jonathan Landry McNeese State 6-4 295 So.
PK - Eddie Carmona Central Arkansas 6-0 211 Sr..
First Team Defense
DL - Desmund Lighten McNeese State 6-0 250 Sr.
DL - Markell Carter Central Arkansas 6-4 248 Sr.
DL - Kenneth Charles Stephen F. Austin 6-3 273 Sr.
DL - Sean Warren Stephen F. Austin 6-0 285 Sr.
LB - Jabara Williams Stephen F. Austin 6-3 225 Sr.
LB - Mark Newbill Southeastern La. 6-0 215 Sr.
DB - Re'Keem Wilson Southeastern La. 6-0 175 Sr.
DB - Malcolm Bronson McNeese State 5-11 188 So.
DB - Darrell Jenkins McNeese State 5-10 205 Jr.
DB - Seth Thomas McNeese State 5-9 177 So.
DB - Tommy Connors Southeastern La. 6-1 215 Sr.
P - Patrick Dolan Nicholls 6-1 180 Sr.
RS- Gralyn Crawford Stephen F. Austin 5-10 180 So.
Second Team Off ense
QB - Paul Harris Northwestern State 6-1 190 So.
RB - Zeke Jones Southeastern La. 6-0 240 So.
RB - Romante Hampton Stephen F. Austin 6-0 200 So.
FB - Gralyn Crawford Stephen F. Austin 5-10 180 So.
WR - Daren Dillard Texas State 6-1 180 Jr.
WR - Chris Royal McNeese State 6-0 220 Sr.
TE - Corday Clark McNeese State 6-3 235 Sr.
OL - Kevin Hughes Southeastern La. 6-4 290 Sr.
OL - Taylor Johnson McNeese State 6-4 285 Jr.
OL - George Bias Stephen F. Austin 6-3 295 So.
OL - Zach Case Northwestern State 6-2 290 Jr.
OL - Brandon Ward Nicholls 6-3 275 Sr.
PK - Drew Nelson Stephen F. Austin 6-1 191 Jr.
Second Team Defense
DL - Terrance Freeman McNeese State 6-4 240 Sr.
DL - Devan Walker Southeastern La. 6-3 245 So.
DL - Adley Eshraghipour Texas State 6-3 280 Jr.
DL - Josh Ellison McNeese State 6-3 240 Sr.
LB - Geremy Pilate McNeese State 6-0 220 Sr.
LB - Devin Ducote Stephen F. Austin 5-10 200 Jr.
DB - Bobby Felder Nicholls 6-0 195 Jr..
DB - Andre Banks Stephen F. Austin 6-3 220 Sr.
DB - Ford Smesny McNeese State 5-10 200 So.
DB - Henry Minor Central Arkansas 5-10 180 Sr.
DB - Marcus Clark Texas State 5-10 205 Sr.
P - Drew Nelson Stephen F. Austin 6-1 191 Jr.
RS - Bradley Brown Northwestern State 5-10 170 So..
