NATCHITOCHES – Hard-charging running back Glenn Talbert, a standout on the Northwestern State football team that won the 1962 Gulf States Conference championship, will be saluted as the Exchange Bank Demon Great of the Game as NSU plays host to Lamar Saturday evening at 6 in Turpin Stadium.

Talbert was a three-year All-GSC halfback who helped coach Jack Clayton's 1962 team to a 7-2-1 overall record, capped by a 19-6 win at nationally-ranked Southeastern Louisiana to claim the conference title. The 1962 team is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this weekend with a reunion, culminated with the team's recognition before kickoff of Saturday night's game.

Quarterback Craig Nall, who had the most spectacular season passing performance in school history before an eight-year NFL career, was the Demon Great of the Game for the Sept. 22 Mississippi Valley State contest in the second home game of 2012. Running back Sidney “Thundering Bull” Thornton, who broke NSU's career rushing record from 1973-76, was the inaugural Demon Great of the Game for the Sept. 8 home opener.

The Demon Great of the Game, presented by Exchange Bank and Trust of Natchitoches, spotlights some of the most outstanding performers in the 105-year history of NSU football. Exchange Bank has been a key supporter of NSU Athletics throughout its long history as the oldest financial institution in Natchitoches.
 
A 5-10, 172-pounder from Gillis, La., Talbert was a junior in 1962 and went on to pro football with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1964.

He was a stalwart on both sides of the ball during the platoon era in college football, when players went both ways. Talbert was a playmaker in the Demons secondary as a defensive back while churning up yards and touchdowns offensively as part of one of three units used by Clayton's Demons.
 
He was a third-team All-GSC pick as a sophomore, and earned first-team honors in his last two seasons. Talbert led the team in average yards per carry in all three seasons.
 
Talbert had 124 yards on only five carries in a 52-6 rout of Mexico Poly in a 1962 midseason non-conference game played south of the border. He was named the Demons' Most Valuable Offensive Back after the championship season.
He was a permanent team captain of the 1963 Demons squad. Talbert also competed in track and field for NSC as a sprinter and long jumper, earning four letters.
 
Talbert, a successful businessman in Shreveport, was enshrined in the Graduate N Club Hall of Fame, NSU's highest athletic honor presented by the athletic lettermen's association and the university, in 1985.

Fans are encouraged to nominate NSU standouts for the Demon Great of the Game honor. E-mail Todd Garzarelli, associate athletic director, at garzarellit@nsula.edu to make a recommendation.