NATCHITOCHES – Five key figures involved with the Northwestern State football program, headlined by university president Dr. Chris Maggio, were recipients of the Demons' "Legendary Link Award" presented during Saturday's 29^th Annual Joe Delaney Bowl spring game at Turpin Stadium.
 
Joining Maggio as winners of the prestigious honor, presented by new head coach Brad Laird, were former standout players Adrian Howard and John Kulakowski, and Natchitoches business leaders Jay and Lauryn Sharplin.
 
They were selected for the sixth annual recognition to acknowledge their significant impact on the Demon football program. Legendary Link winners are presented during the Delaney Bowl each spring.
 
The tradition dates back to the creation of the link awards for players and coaches in the program more than 20 years ago by then-head coach Sam Goodwin.
 
The Legendary Links recognize former players, coaches, staff members and supporters for remarkable, extended impact on the Demon football program. Whether through direct involvement with the program or by the impact of their accomplishments elsewhere bringing pride to Demons everywhere, the Legendary Link recipients are a key component in NSU football ranking among the nation's elite in many ways over the past half-century.
 
The Sharplins became the first married couple ever honored. Neither was a college athlete, but their involvement with NSU Athletics, and especially their support of the Demon football program, warranted this distinction, said Laird.
 
The Sharplins operate a group of hotels in Natchitoches and are continually helpful with accommodations for visiting recruits and provide a home-away-from-home for the families of many of our players. They are leaders in our community and part of the Demon football family.
 
The second Legendary Link recipient spotlighted Saturday was Kulakowski, an N-Club Hall of Fame member as an All-American defensive end. He was the 1987 Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year and won All-America honors after making 96 tackles, including a school-record 15 sacks, for Coach Sam Goodwin's Demons.
 
"Kool" was a four-year starter who had 28 career sacks. He played on the 1984 Gulf Star Conference championship team. Kool was an obvious choice for the Top 100 Players in Demon Football History roster chosen in 2007 as part of the centennial celebration of our program. He has been an avid supporter of the university and Demon football since graduation.
 
Next was Howard, a four-year letterman at cornerback who was a key player for NSU's 1988 Southland Conference champions and national playoff quarterfinalists.
 
After his playing days ended and he graduated from NSU in business, Howard became a very successful State Farm Insurance agent in the Dallas metroplex, where he has just been honored as the Fort Worth YMCA Volunteer of the Year. Truly a good neighbor, Howard has been an extremely loyal and supportive Demon. He is a cornerstone alumnus for his university and the Demon football program.
 
Maggio was the final 2018 recipient recognized during a ceremony between the first and second quarters of the Delaney Bowl. A lifelong Natchitoches resident, a championship quarterback in high school, an honors graduate of the university, a scholar-athlete who was a member of a conference championship track team as a senior, Maggio became a highly successful high school coach and an outstanding college track coach at NSU.
 
His credentials on the NSU staff were stellar even before he was elevated to the university's top leadership position at the outset of 2017. Dr. Maggio has taken on a variety of very important roles on campus and has excelled in each of them.
 
Every step of the way, his support of the Demon football program has been remarkable and game-changing, just as he impacts every element of the university, said Laird.