The Northwestern State football team found a bit of balance on the 2023 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Teams that were released Friday morning.
The Demons placed three of their six members on the first team and three on the second team as chosen by league coaches.
Two of Northwestern State’s first-team selections are on offense – sophomore tight end Travon Jones and senior wide receiver Zach Patterson – while junior safety Kevin Davis Jr. earned first-team honors on defense.
A 6-foot-7, 220-pounder from Miami, Florida, Jones earned first-team All-Southland honors after catching 20 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown in his first season in Natchitoches.
Patterson was the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year and a second-team All-Southland pick after catching 83 passes in his debut season. That total placed the 5-11, 180-pound product of Corinth, Mississippi, second in NSU single-season history in receptions. He enters the 2023 season 17 catches shy of 10th place in Demon career history.
Davis Jr., a 6-foot, 190-pound junior from Freeport, Texas, ranked fourth on the Demons with 51 tackles (six for loss) and added his first career interception and a forced fumble during the 2023 season.
The Demons’ trio of second-team selections all came on offense – running back Scooter Adams, wide receiver Ke’Nard King and offensive lineman D’Andre Richard.
Adams, a 5-9, 180-pound senior from Hallettsville, Texas, was third on the team in rushing yards (244) and sixth in receiving yards (220) while providing his customary big-play ability. Adams had a pair of receiving touchdowns that covered at least 80 yards, including an 84-yard scoring grab against Southeast Missouri State that stands as the sixth-longest passing play in school history.
A 5-10, 170-pound junior from Houston, King showcased his big-play ability in his first season as a Demon, ranking second on the team with a 15.7 yards per catch average, highlighted by a 59-yard touchdown grab against Southeast Missouri State. He also had a clutch fourth-down catch to keep the game-winning drive alive against Nicholls.
Richard, a 6-3, 300-pound junior from Baton Rouge, was part of an offensive line that allowed the Demons to pass for 268.9 yards per game a season ago, the second-highest total in the Southland and the 18th-best nationally.
Davis, Richard and King all earned the first All-Southland honors of their careers.
The Demons kick off the 2023 season Sept. 2 at UL Lafayette in a 6:30 p.m. start.
