NATCHITOCHES – The record book says the 1997 Northwestern State Demons were Southland Conference football champions. It doesn't begin to scratch the surface of how coach Sam Goodwin's team triumphed over adversity to excel.

That remarkable team is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this weekend and will be in the spotlight Saturday evening at Turpin Stadium when NSU plays host to sixth-ranked Central Arkansas in the Demons' Homecoming contest.

The 1997 Demons will be recognized on the field and on the videoboard as the Exchange Bank Demon Greats of the Game during a timeout in the opening quarter. Over 30 of the team roster is expected to return for a reunion that begins with a Friday evening gathering downtown.

Nine of the 1997 players went on to play in the National Football League. They helped NSU go 8-4, including a first-round playoff loss at Eastern Washington. The Demons were 6-1 in Southland Conference competition.

The team provided one of the finest hours in NSU sports annals in its final homefield appearance on a cool November Thursday evening, clinching the Southland title with its sixth consecutive win, whipping nationally-ranked rival Stephen F. Austin 38-24.

After a crowd over 10,000 roared its approval, a throng estimated at 2,000 swarmed the field, yanking down the south goalposts for the first time in Turpin Stadium history. The crossbar was eventually paraded out of the stadium by students, who carried it downtown and across Cane River to a popular nightspot.

The 1997 Demons overcame losing two of its top players to injuries before the second week of the season, serious illnesses and deaths of family members, and other injuries and personal adversities – along with a frustrating start to the season on the field. The competitive low came in a second-half collapse at McNeese Oct. 11, when a 16-7 game became a rout ending with a 50-7 Cowboys victory.

"It was a jolt, like a slap in the face. We were about as low as a team can be," said Goodwin after the season. "We didn't have a lot of confidence, but we never lost faith in each other. There wasn't any finger pointing.

"The kids came back out to practice the next week with a lot of determination and enthusiasm. They didn't dwell on what happened, they focused on getting better as a football team."

As Goodwin reflected on his team's journey as they prepared to travel to Washington for the playoff game, he marveled at the players' tenacity and fortitude during the turbulent first two months of the season.

"Even knowing where we are right now, if it took what we went through earlier this year, I don't think there's a man on this team who would say he would want to go through it again," he said. "A lesser group would not have been able to handle it."

In their six-game run to the Southland crown, the Demons were dominant. The statistics told the tale: NSU averaged 407 yards to 229 for opponents, 260 rushing yards to 55, 35 points to 15, and made 13 interceptions to 3 for foes, 19 sacks to 5 by opponents, and 29 touchdowns to 12 for the other teams.

The Purple Swarm defense, led by second-year defensive coordinator Bradley Dale Peveto, ranked among the top 10 nationally in pass defense and total defense, and among the top 20 in rushing defense and scoring defense. Peveto said part of the credit went to the dominating offensive performances that kept the defense off the field.

A Demon Great of the Game is spotlighted at each home football game. In its first four years, the Demon Great of the Game presented by Exchange Bank and Trust has honored 22 outstanding figures in the 109-year history of NSU athletics.
 
Harris Wilson Jr., known as "Coach Black" to his legion of friends, was the first 2017 Demon Great of the Game, spotlighted at the Sept. 16 win over Lamar. Since 1996, he has worked with all of the NSU sports.

Legendary retired track and field coach Leon Johnson was the Sept. 30 Great of the Game. Johnson was NSU's head coach for 31 years until his 2013 retirement, and had an epic collection of accomplishments in his career.
 
Exchange Bank and Trust has been a key supporter of NSU Athletics throughout its long history as the oldest financial institution in Louisiana.