FRISCO, Texas – Nicholls State University football safety
Khristian Mims and running back
Dontrell Taylor were named to the 2019 Southland All-Academic Team, the league office announced Friday morning.
Both seniors, Mims made his first appearance on the academic squad while Taylor received the honor for the third time. Taylor landed on the team in all three years in which he qualified as freshmen and first-year players are not eligible for the team.
A graduate of White Castle in Louisiana, Taylor was an automatic selection after earning CoSIDA Academic All-District for the second consecutive year. In the classroom, he posted a 3.72 grade point average as a petroleum services - safety technology major.
Taylor missed time this season due to injuries but finished with 304 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Taylor rushed for a career-high three touchdowns in the win over Northwestern State, then had a season-high 95 yards and a touchdown in the playoff victory against North Dakota.
A four-year letterwinner, Taylor etched his name in the Colonel record books as the program's third all-time leading rusher with 2,175 yards. Last season, he set the single-season record of 7.2 yards per carry.
A two-time All-Southland selection, Mims landed on the academic team after recording a 3.2 GPA in computer information services. The Baton Rouge native and graduate of University Lab had the 11th most tackles in the Southland with 97, including 70 solo. Mims registered double figures in tackles in two games, including a season-high 13 in the win at UIW.
Mims totaled 3.5 tackles for loss and recorded his first career sack in the Senior-Day victory against McNeese. He also forced one fumble on the year and returned an interception 79 yards against Abilene Christian.
Southland Conference All-Academic Teams are voted upon by the head coach, sports information director and an academic/compliance staff member from each school. Student-Athletes of the Year are voted upon by an awards committee which consists of one administrator from each member school. Voting for one's own athletes is not permitted.
To be eligible for all-academic distinction, an athlete must hold a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA through the semester prior to the sport's championship, completed at least one full academic year at the nominating school prior to the current season, and participated in at least 50 percent of the team's competitions during the most recently completed season.
2019 Southland Football Student-Athlete of the Year: Chris Livings, McNeese
2019 Southland Football All-Academic Team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Hometown |
Cl. |
GPA |
Major |
| QB |
Luke Anthony^3 |
Abilene Christian |
Dallas, Texas |
Sr. |
3.97 |
Finance |
| RB |
Taron Jones |
Southeastern La. |
Mandeville, La. |
So. |
3.40 |
Finance |
| RB |
Dontrell Taylor^3 |
Nicholls |
White Castle, La. |
Sr. |
3.72 |
Petroleum Services |
| OL |
Tyler Edwards |
Sam Houston State |
Buna, Texas |
Gr. |
3.75 |
Kinesiology |
| OL |
Jarius Gooch |
Southeastern La. |
Water Valley, Miss. |
Sr. |
3.25 |
Criminal Justice |
| OL |
Tamatoa Neher |
Lamar |
Hauula, Hawaii |
Sr. |
3.30 |
Exercise Fitness Mgmt. |
| OL |
Kade Parmelly^2 |
Abilene Christian |
Abilene, Texas |
Sr. |
3.95 |
Kinesiology |
| OL |
Chris Zirkle^3# |
Northwestern St. |
League City, Texas |
Gr. |
4.00 |
Homeland Security |
| TE |
David Fitzwater |
Northwestern St. |
Shreveport, La. |
Jr. |
3.79 |
Applied Science/Health |
| WR |
Josh Fink^&2# |
Abilene Christian |
Coppell, Texas |
Sr. |
3.81 |
Financial Management |
| WR |
Jerreth Sterns |
Houston Baptist |
Waxahachie, Texas |
So. |
3.21 |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
| PK |
Hayden Ray |
Central Arkansas |
Bryant, Ark. |
Jr. |
3.34 |
General Science |
| P |
Matt McRobert* |
Sam Houston State |
Berorwa, Australia |
Gr. |
3.20 |
Sport Management |
| DL |
Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund^&2 |
Southeastern La. |
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia |
Sr. |
3.81 |
Exercise Science |
| DL |
Chris Livings* |
McNeese |
Lake Charles, La. |
Gr. |
3.50 |
Criminal Justice |
| DL |
Andre Walker*^&3# |
Houston Baptist |
Slidell, La. |
Sr. |
3.69 |
Biochemistry |
| DL |
TJ Wright^ |
UIW |
San Antonio, Texas |
So. |
3.85 |
Rehabilitative Services |
| LB |
Hunter Brown |
Sam Houston State |
Weston, Fla. |
Gr. |
4.00 |
Instructional Leadership |
| LB |
Jack Gibbens^& |
Abilene Christian |
Bulverde, Texas |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Accounting |
| LB |
Brennan Young |
Houston Baptist |
Conroe, Texas |
So. |
3.76 |
Marketing |
| DB |
Adonis Davis |
Abilene Christian |
Bastrop, Texas |
Sr. |
3.00 |
Kinesiology |
| DB |
Khristian Mims |
Nicholls |
Baton Rouge, La. |
Sr. |
3.20 |
Computer Info. Services |
| DB |
Andre Mulinax^ |
Lamar |
Fort Worth, Texas |
Jr. |
3.82 |
Management |
| DB |
Ryan Reed^4 |
Northwestern St. |
St. Francisville, La. |
Sr. |
3.62 |
Industrial Engineering Tech. |
| DB |
Gavin Roland^2 |
Stephen F. Austin |
League City, Texas |
Jr. |
3.82 |
Cellular/Molecular Biology |
* Automatic selection; First Team All-Conference
^ Automatic selection; CoSIDA Academic All-District
& Automatic selection; CoSIDA Academic All-American
# Automatic selection; FCS ADA Academic All-Star
2 Two-time all-academic selection
3 Three-time all-academic selection
4 Four-time all-academic selection
