Team roster

NATCHITOCHES -- Headed by two-time All-America offensive tackle and 12-year NFL veteran Marcus Spears, Northwestern State players filled seven of the 50 spots on the Southland Conference's All-Time Football Team announced by the league office.

Spears, a Demon star from 1991-93, was among 25 first-team selections. Making the league's 50th anniversary second team representing NSU were offensive tackle Demetress Bell (2005-07), linebacker Andre Carron (1988-91), defensive backs Mike Green (1997-99), Jermaine Jones (1996-98) and Terrence McGee (1999-2002), and return specialist Toby Zeigler (2002-05). Green and Jones were teammates on the Demons' 1997 and 1998 Southland championship teams, including the 1998 team that reached the FCS semifinals.

A blue-ribbon panel of 46 administrators, coaches and media helped select the team, which also had input from hundreds of fans on the Southland Conference Facebook page. More than 200 outstanding former and current football players and 15 legendary coaches were considered after they were chosen for the league's All-Decade teams announced this fall.

Spears is among the Southland's most-decorated players ever along with enjoying a 12-year NFL career. In 1993, the Baton Rouge-Belaire product became only the second FCS (I-AA) player to ever be named to the Football Writers Association of America's All-America Team, joining receiving great Jerry Rice (1986) in that esteemed category. Spears made the FWAA's team alongside stars from Nebraska, Southern Cal and Notre Dame, among others.

Spears was also one of nine Outland Trophy semifinalists in 1993, and earned consensus FCS All-America honors for the Demons in both his junior and senior seasons. He was a three-time all-Southland first-team selection before becoming a second-round draft choice of the Chicago Bears in 1994. In addition to the Bears, Spears also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns.

Carron and Jones were runner-ups for national player of the year honors as seniors. Carron finished one first-place vote shy of the 1991 Walter Payton Trophy for the top player in FCS, helping spur creation of the Buck Buchanan Award since presented to the division's top defensive player. Jones was runner-up for that honor in 1998.

Carron, nicknamed "The Terminator" for his fierce hitting as a mobile linebacker, collected 521 tackles, a career record for the conference as well as for the Demons. The Opelousas native was the 1991 Football Gazette FCS Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-America.

Jones was the 1998 Southland Player of the Year, after a spectacular year as a cornerback and punt returner, scoring fhree defensive touchdowns and running back a pair of punts for scores. The Morgan City-Central Catholic product set single-season (21) and career (44) records for pass breakups.

Green, a Ruston native, was an All-America safety in 1998 and 1999 and also is regarded among the hardest-hitting tacklers in school history. The last selection in the 2000 NFL Draft, Green played nine NFL seasons, seven in Chicago, where he led all NFL defensive backs in tackles in 2002.

Bell came to NSU as a basketball recruit and played three seasons for coach Mike McConathy, who encouraged Bell to try a sport he had never played at tiny Summerfield High in Claiborne Parish. After his first season in 2005 as a defensive end, Bell was moved to offensive tackle three weeks before the 2006 season opener and started the next 22 games, earning All-America honors as a senior before beginning an NFL career that includes six seasons, four as a starter in Buffalo and Philadelphia.

McGee had the greatest NFL success among the Demons' contingent on the All-Time Southland Team, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2004 and making the Top 50 Bills of All-Time team for the Buffalo franchise as a standout kick returner and cornerback in 10 pro seasons. A four-year starter at cornerback for NSU, McGee set an NCAA FCS record as a sophomore with a 23.7 punt return average including three touchdown runbacks as he won All-America honors. The Athens, Texas native tied Jones' career pass breakups record (44) and made 11 career interceptions while helping NSU to consecutive FCS playoff appearances in 2001-02 and a 2001 win at TCU.

Zeigler was a four-year starting receiver out of Monroe-Neville who helped the Demons to the playoffs in 2002 and 2004, while claiming the 2004 Southland championship. Zeigler is the conference, state and school career punt return leader (1,309 yards, 109 attempts, 12.5 average), ending his career second all-time in FCS history. He set the school record for all-purpose yardage (4,943).

Split between first and second teams, the overall group of honorees includes student-athletes that accumulated 114 first-team all-Southland Conference honors and 55 first-team All-American accolades. Additionally, All-Time Team members have combined to play 270 NFL seasons, 29 of them were NFL Draft choices, and collectively, All-Time Team members made a total of 16 Super Bowl appearances.

The 50-man roster includes pro standouts such as Pro Football Hall of Fame member Fred Dean of Louisiana Tech (defensive lineman, 1971-74), Bill Bergey (Arkansas State linebacker 1965-68), running back Larry Centers (Stephen F. Austin, 1987-89), Tim KcKyer (Texas-Arlington defensive back, 1982-85), current Baltimore Ravens all-pro Lardarius Webb (cornerback, Nicholls State 2007-08, coached by current Demons' head coach Jay Thomas), and Louisiana Tech receiver Roger Carr (1971-73) and McNeese running back Buford Jordan (1980-83), the latter two along with Dean members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Another state Hall of Fame inductee, Maxie Lambright, was chosen as the team's coach for guiding Louisiana Tech to three national championships.


VOTING PANEL:
Bob Anderson, Former ULM SID; Walt Anderson, Former SLC Referee; Andrew Bechac, SLU Assoc. AD; Rob Bernardi, Nicholls State AD; Louis Bonnette, Former McNeese SID; Byron Boston, SLC Officiating; Pete Carlon, Former UTA AD; Kemmler Chapple, SLU SID; Clint Conque, Central Arkansas Coach; James Dixon, Lamar SID; Bobby Dower, Lake Charles American Press; Willie Fritz, SHSU Coach; Sam Goodwin, Former NSU Coach; Craig Haley, The Sports Network; J.C. Harper, SFA Coach; Jason Henderson, Lamar AD; Alex Hickey, Lake Charles American Press; Tynes Hildebrand, Former NSU AD; Robert Hill, SFA AD; Calhoun Hipp, Southland staff; Dave Hofferth, KBMT-TV, Beaumont; Doug Ireland, NSU SID; Todd Lamb, Southland staff; Bruce Ludlow, Southland staff; Steve McCarty, Former SFA AD; Tommy McClelland, La. Tech AD; David McCollum, Conway Log Cabin Democrat; Randy McIlvoy, Southland TV; Chris Mycoskie, Southland staff; Patrick Netherton, NSU Radio; Mark Papich, UIW AD; Rick Poulter, Texas State SID; Keith Prince, Former La. Tech SID; Ron Randleman, Former SHSU FB Coach; Teddy Renois, Thibodaux Daily Comet; Paul Ridings, Sam Houston SID; Lyn Rollins, Southland TV; Greg Sankey, Former SLC Commissioner; Vic Shealy, HBU Coach; Charlie Stubbs, Nicholls State Coach; Matt Sullivan, ULL Sports Information; Damon Sunde, SLU Sports Information; Tony Taglavore, NSU Radio; Larry Teis, Texas State AD; Jay Thomas, NSU Coach; Leroy Wilkinson, SHSU Radio; Bobby Williams, Sam Houston AD.