CHICAGO – Nicholls State University football had two seniors named to the 2019 STATS FCS Preseason All-America Teams as defensive lineman Sully Laiche earned first-team honors while linebacker Evan Veron was named third team.
 
The stellar team announced Tuesday goes three squads deep and features 98 players from 60 schools with at least three selections from all 13 FCS conferences. Including Laiche and Veron, the Southland Conference had seven honorees with Abilene Christian's Jeremiah Chambers, Central Arkansas' Chris Terrell, Sam Houston State's Nathan Stewart and Zyon McCollum, and Southeastern Louisiana's Juwan Petit-Frere all making the teams. 
 
A native of Gramercy, Laiche has been named All-Southland in all three of his seasons and was an all-American recipient last year. He is coming off 8.5 sacks and 17.0 tackles for loss and heads into his senior campaign as the FCS active leader in career sacks with 25.5.
 
Veron had a breakout season in 2018, racking up 22 tackles for loss which was third-best in the FCS. The LaPlace native added 7.0 sacks with two coming in the win at Kansas. 
 
The duo was part of a suffocating Colonel defense last season that ranked first in the Southland in scoring, total yards, rushing yards, sacks, and tackles for loss. Nationally, Nicholls tied for third in the FCS in total TFLs. 
 
The Missouri Valley Football Conference gained the most All-America selections with 16, CAA Football was second with 14 and the Big Sky Conference third with 13. Among schools, South Dakota State had the most selections with five, while two-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State, Jacksonville State and James Madison followed with four each.
 
FALL CAMP 
The Colonels report to camp on Thursday, Aug. 1 with their first practice set for Friday. For a complete schedule, please check back on geauxcolonels.com. 
 
SEASON TICKETS
 Season tickets for Nicholls football are available by visiting geauxcolonels.com or calling the Nicholls Ticket Office at 985-448-4790. The home opener is scheduled for Oct. 5 against Central Arkansas and the season opener is slated for Aug. 31 at Kansas State. 

2019 STATS FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Jake Maier, senior, 6-0, 200, UC Davis
RB - A.J. Hines, senior, 5-11, 225, Duquesne
RB - James Robinson, senior, 5-10, 220, Illinois State
WR - Michael Bandy, senior, 5-11, 190, San Diego
WR - Josh Pearson, senior, 6-4, 205, Jacksonville State
WR - Nathan Stewart, senior, 6-0, 180, Sam Houston State
TE - Charlie Taumoepeau, senior, 6-3, 240, Portland State
OL - J'Von Brown, senior, 6-3, 350, Central Connecticut State
OL - Noah Johnson, senior, 6-4, 302, Idaho
OL - Zack Johnson, senior, 6-6, 317, North Dakota State
OL - Zach Larsen, senior, 6-1, 305, Southern Utah
OL - Kyle Murphy, senior, 6-4, 312, Rhode Island

DEFENSE
DL - Sully Laiche, senior, 6-2, 270, Nicholls
DL - Nasir Player, senior, 6-5, 271, ETSU
DL - Chris Terrell, senior, 6-3, 270, Central Arkansas
DL - Nick Wheeler, senior, 6-2, 255, Colgate
LB - Jabril Cox, junior, 6-3, 233, North Dakota State
LB - Cam Gill, senior, 6-3, 230, Wagner
LB - Zach Hall, senior, 6-0, 230, Southeast Missouri
LB - Dante Olson, senior, 6-3, 237, Montana
DB - Marlon Bridges, senior, 6-0, 200, Jacksonville State
DB - Manny Patterson, senior, 5-10, 180, Maine
DB - Rashad Robinson, senior, 5-11, 185, James Madison
DB - Isiah Swann, senior, 6-0, 190, Dartmouth

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Aidan O'Neill, senior, 6-1, 199, Towson
P - Alex Pechin, graduate, 6-0, 210, Bucknell
LS - Bradey Sorenson, junior, 6-2, 225, South Dakota State
KR - Jean Constant, senior, 5-9, 180, Stony Brook
PR - D'Angelo Amos, junior, 6-1, 186, James Madison
ATH - Shane Simpson, senior, 5-9, 200, Towson
ATH - Troy Andersen, junior, 6-3, 215, Montana State
 
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Tom Flacco, senior, 6-1, 208, Towson
RB - Josh Davis, sophomore, 5-9, 195, Weber State
RB - Pierre Strong Jr., sophomore, 5-11, 200, South Dakota State
RB - De'Shawn Waller, senior, 5-11, 210, Alcorn State
WR - Cade Johnson, junior, 5-10, 175, South Dakota State
WR - Bryce Nunnelly, junior, 6-2, 190, Chattanooga
WR - Aaron Parker, senior, 6-3, 191, Rhode Island
TE - Briley Moore, senior, 6-3, 242, Northern Iowa
OL - Justus Basinger, senior, 6-4, 305, Wofford
OL - Spencer Blackburn, senior, 6-2, 290, Eastern Washington
OL - Liam Fornadel, junior, 6-4, 307, James Madison
OL - Drew Himmelmann, junior, 6-10, 315, Illinois State
OL - Marcus Pettiford, senior, 6-4, 293, North Carolina A&T

DEFENSE
DL - Darin Greenfield, senior, 6-3, 240, South Dakota
DL - Aaron Patrick, senior, 6-4, 245, Eastern Kentucky
DL - Derrek Tuszka, senior, 6-5, 243, North Dakota State
DL - Kayon Whitaker, senior, 6-2, 255, Maine
LB - Bryson Armstrong, junior, 5-11, 212, Kennesaw State
LB - Jeremiah Chambers, senior, 6-1, 220, Abilene Christian
LB - Jonas Griffith, senior, 6-4, 240, Indiana State
LB - Adrian Hope, sophomore, 6-1, 210, Furman
LB - Christian Rozeboom, senior, 6-2, 225, South Dakota State
DB - Abu Daramy-Swaray, senior, 5-10, 190, Colgate
DB - Franklin "Mac" McCain III, junior, 5-11, 173, North Carolina A&T
DB - Tyree Robinson, junior, 5-11, 184, ETSU
DB - Dorian Walker, senior, 6-0, 181, Kennesaw State

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Grayson Atkins, junior, 5-10, 187, Furman
P - Cade Coffey, junior, 6-1, 198, Idaho
LS - Josh Brady, senior, 6-3, 238, Jacksonville State
KR - Rashid Shaheed, junior, 6-0, 175, Weber Stat
PR - Nick Rinella, senior, 5-10, 200, Saint Francis
ATH - Kentel Williams, senior, 6-0, 190, Austin Peay
 
THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Tyrie Adams, senior, 6-2, 180, Western Carolina
RB - Juwon Farri, sophomore, 5-10, 185, Monmouth
RB - Quay Holmes, sophomore, 6-1, 216, ETSU
RB - Jordan Meachum, senior, 5-10, 200, Sacred Heart
WR - Jequez Ezzard, senior, 5-9, 190, Howard
WR - Reed Klubnik, senior, 6-3, 200, Yale
WR - Kristian Wilkerson, senior, 6-1, 210, Southeast Missouri
TE - Adam Trautman, senior, 6-6, 253, Dayton
OL - Darius Anderson, junior, 6-3, 305, Jacksonville State
OL - Jack Badovinac, junior 6-2, 290, Colgate
OL - Mitch Brott, senior, 6-6, 290, Montana State
OL - Reily Radosevich, senior, 6-3, 265, Princeton
OL - Ty Whitworth, junior, 6-4, 295, Weber State

DEFENSE
DL - Ron'Dell Carter, senior, 6-3, 273, James Madison
DL - Maurice Jackson, senior, 6-2, 265, Richmond
DL - Bryce Sterk, senior, 6-5, 250, Montana State
DL - Khristian Tate, senior, 6-0, 280, Georgetown
LB - Glenn Cunningham, junior, 6-2, 226, Fordham
LB - Da'Jon Lee, senior, 6-2, 235, Saint Francis
LB - Solomon Muhammad, senior, 6-1, 235, Alcorn State
LB - DeShawn Stevens, junior, 6-1, 250, Maine
LB - Evan Veron, senior, 6-0, 215, Nicholls
DB - Tymere Berry, junior, 6-1, 175, Monmouth
DB - Jeremy Chinn, senior, 6-2, 211, Southern Illinois
DB - Zyon McCollum, junior, 6-4, 190, Sam Houston State
DB - Ju'Anthony Parker, senior, 5-11, 165, Prairie View A&M
DB - Will Warner, senior, 6-3, 201, Drake

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Chase Vinatieri, senior, 6-1, 225, South Dakota State
P - Chris Faddoul, junior, 6-1, 182, Florida A&M
P - Garret Wegner, junior, 6-0, 193, North Dakota State
LS - Chandler Collins, senior, 6-4, 242, Missouri State
KR - Jimmie Robinson, senior, 5-8, 162, Bethune-Cookman
KR - Juwan Petit-Frere, senior, 5-9, 180, Southeastern Louisiana
PR - Chris Rowland, senior, 5-8, 170, Tennessee State
ATH - Caylin Newton, junior, 6-0, 195, Howard