FOOTBALL TRADITIONS
Northwestern State Demons
The Ole Redhead, Jackie Smith
For a track standout whose hurdling skills made him most attractive to the Demons coming out of Kentwood High School, Jackie Smith made the most of his opportunity at NSU from 1959-62. His stats in football were modest in the run-based offenses of the early 1960s, but his size and speed interested pro scouts. Few 10th-round draft picks have worked out so spectacularly. Smith’s rugged style, combined with his speed and athleticism, redefined the positon of tight end in the NFL in the late 1960s. He made five straight Pro Bowl appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1966-70 and retired after the 1978 season as the NFL’s all-time leading tight end with 480 career catches for 7,918 yards. He played in 121 consecutive games. In 1994, Kentwood came to Canton. The “Ole Redhead” was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Last But Not Least, Mr. Irrelevant
Among the 34 Demons chosen in the NFL Draft, two hold a special distinction – they were the last players chosen in that year’s draft. Receiver Mike Almond was the 330th and last selection in 1979, going to the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Safety Mike Green went as the 248th choice in the 2000 draft, to Chicago. They were each the guests of honor for the “Irrelevant Week” celebration in Newport Beach, Cal., in June, Jackie Smth making NSU the only program to have two “Mr. Irrelevants” in the 29-year history of the festivities. Almond made it to the last cut but the Steelers had receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, both in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Green not only made the Bears’ roster, he was their second-leading tackler over his last six seasons and before he was traded to NFC champion Seattle.
Rookie Star, Veteran Style
Along with winning the 1988 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, former NSU tailback John Stephens was Mike Green awarded the first Gale Sayers Humanitarian Citation in 1988. Stephens was the choice of a committee headed by Sayers, the Hall of Fame running back who starred for the Chicago Bears. The award is given to the National Football League rookie demonstrating the most outstanding commitment of time and effort toward a personally designated charitable organization, which in Stephens’s case was the Roxbury (Mass.) Comprehensive Community Health Center.
The Turtle, All-Pro Terrence McGee
The Turtle came out of his shell in a big way. Cornerback Terrence McGee earned the nickname “Turtle” because of the way he wore his shoulder pads around his head until the last possible moment before preseason practices, to keep his head in the shade. McGee became a starter as a true freshman, and became a star a year later. He ran three punts back for touchdowns, broke the NCAA single-season record for punt return yardage and today stands as the Division I-AA all-time record holder for best career punt return average (17.6, 1999-2002). In his second pro season, 2004, he made the Pro Bowl as a return specialist and has emerged as one of the NFL’s better cover cornerbacks for Buffalo.
Demons on the SI Cover
For musicians, it’s the cover of the Rolling Stone. For athletes, being a Sports Illustrated coverboy is the ultiTerrence McGee mate. Two Demon greats have been there. All-Pro Mark Duper was the subject for the Nov. 19, 1984 issue showcasing the unbeaten Miami Dolphins, In the Oct. 7, 1991 edition, Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert was on the cover illustrating the “Saints Alive” story saluting their best start ever. NSU products Jackie Smith, Joe Delaney and Hebert have been profiled inside the magazine, and in 2005, Marcus Spears provided the “Best Joke I Can Tell in Public” for SI readers.
Track and Football, a Demon Tradition
Dating back to the 1930s, football and track have been intertwined at Northwestern. The Demons’ first football All-American, Walter Ledet, was a track stalwart who became one of the great track coaches in state history, earning him a place in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. His powerhouse track programs attracted future pro greats Charlie Hennigan and Jackie Smith to Northwestern. Since then, many outstanding Demon football players have been two-sport stars, including track All-Americans and future pro players Joe Delaney, Mark Duper, Victor Oatis, Al Edwards and Ronnie Powell. Duper had never played football until Delaney and Oatis teased and prodded him into giving it a try for his junior season, 1980. Two years later, Duper was a second-round NFL Draft pick on the way to three Pro Bowls. In 1981, Delaney, Oatis, and Duper ran on the NCAA Division I champion 4x100 meter relay team. NSU remains the only FCS program ever to win an NCAA relay championship men or women indoors or outdoors.
Great Tradition • Brighter Future
@NSUDemonsFB
SLC Champions- 1988 • 1997 • 1998 • 2004
Northwestern State Demons
nsudemons.com
FCS Playoffs- 1988 • 1997 • 1998 • 2001 • 2002 • 2004
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