NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State's two 2014 All-America football standouts, senior cornerback Imoan Claiborne and junior receiver/return specialist Ed Eagan, earned slots on the College Sporting News 2014 Fabulous 50 FCS All-America Team announced Monday, and Eagan was one of six individual award winners.

Voters on the season's final FCS All-America team, building a list by position of 50 players who hypothetically could take the field to play a game, named Eagan as the 2014 FCS Special Teams Player of the Year. Claiborne was one of six defensive backs chosen.


Northwestern State was among 11 schools to have multiple selections on the 50-man squad, led by six from national champion North Dakota State. The Demons provided two of four players on the team from the Southland Conference, joined by Central Arkansas senior offensive lineman Cole Caruthers and Southeastern Louisiana senior defensive tackle Marquel Combs.


Eagan, second in the FCS in all-purpose yardage (180.8 yards per game), earlier received second-team All-America honors from the Associated Press. Claiborne, who is playing Saturday in the 66^th Annual Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., was a third-team cornerback on The Sports Network's All-America team chosen by media voters from around the country.


Eagan, from New Orleans-Holy Cross, broke five individual school records and tied another last fall while helping the Demons break 24 more individual or team records on offense and special teams.


He set career (2,125) and season (1,045) marks for kickoff return yards, shattered by 19 catches the school single-season record for receptions by making 73, broke the single-game receiving yardage standard with 238 against McNeese, and tied the single-game receptions record by making 13 at Abilene Christian.


Claiborne came up with seven of 30 turnovers captured by the Demons' Purple Swarm defense. His three fumble recoveries ranked sixth nationally and four interceptions stood 28^th. He led NSU with seven pass breakups although thrown at infrequently, and made 48 tackles in 10 ½ games, missing six quarters with an injury.


The Alexandria-Alexandria Senior High product, who graduated in December after posting a 3.8 grade point average during the season, made 103 career tackles in 37 games, starting 28. He had six interceptions, returning one for a touchdown as a junior, and 11 pass breakups.


Claiborne and Eagan were both first-team selections on the All-Southland and All-Louisiana teams announced late last year.