SALEM, Virginia – Northwestern State receivers Gavin Landry and Kendrick Price should have spent Sunday afternoon getting ready for the final football game of their college careers.
Instead, Winter Storm Izzy had other plans and accelerated the timetable for the pair of sixth-year seniors who were set to participate in Dream Bowl X, which was set for Monday at 11 a.m. CST.
“The game got moved up because of the snowstorm that was coming, and we ended up playing (Saturday) night,” Landry said.
Landry and Price were teammates again on the Crusaders squad, which fell 20-10 to the Patriots in a game that featured players from the FCS, NCAA Division II and III and NAIA levels.
The Demon pass-catching duo were the first NSU players to participate in the event since JeMarcus Marshall and Tuff McClain in 2017.
Landry and his family found out about the schedule as they were driving from Louisiana to Salem for the weekend, which originally was supposed to conclude with the noon kickoff on Martin Luther King Day. Mother Nature changed that and brought a slightly earlier end to Landry’s and Price’s time as collegiate competitors.
“It was a unique experience, and it was more challenging since the game was pushed up,” said Landry, who caught a team-leading three passes. “We had to adapt and overcome, which has been similar to my career. It was a fun experience, and I met a lot of great people. It was weird being so rushed, but I enjoyed it and made the most of it.”
Price was unable to play in the game after tweaking a knee during a practice, but he remained positive about his experience, especially being able to reconnect with Landry and former Demon teammates Stadford Anderson and Ricky Chatman.
“Me and Show (Anderson) had a moment on the sideline where I was cheering on the guys, and he looked at me and said, ‘Hearing your voice is crazy. We’re on the same team again,’” Price said. “Ricky had an interception. It was cool to share those moments with Gavin and Show and Ricky.
“It was good to be back in a competitive environment. I’d never been to Virginia before. I wish I could have played in the game, but I made the most of my opportunities in practice. We had scouts and coaches looking at us. Everything was cool, and I really enjoyed it.”
Photo: Chris Reich/NSU Photographic Services
