RETURNING PLAYERS 66 • JOSH ALLEN
20 • JUSTIN BACKUS
2012 All-Sun Belt Second Team 2012 All-Louisiana Honorable Mention
2012 (Freshman) Redshirted... Was coaches’ scout team player of the week on defense for the UL-Lafayette game week.
OL • 6-3 • 315 • SR. Cedar Hill, Texas • Cedar Hill HS
2012 (Junior) Started all 13 games at center and earned a pair of postseason accolades... Part of offensive line that helped ULM out gain No. 8 Arkansas 550 yards to 377 yards in a 34-31 win in overtime... Helped ULM line create holes for 262 rushing yards against Baylor... Part of front five that helped ULM total 500 or more yards of offense in four of first five games (Arkansas, Baylor, Tulane and Middle Tennessee)... Anchored offensive line that paved way for 516 yards of offense against North Texas. 2011 (Sophomore) Earned the start at left guard against Florida State... Helped pave the way for 249 team rushing yards against Grambling State... Anchored the left side at TCU... Appeared in the starting lineup at Iowa and in the Sun Belt Conference opener against Arkansas State... Also made starts at Troy, at North Texas and against Western Kentucky.
CB • 6-2 • 183 • RS-FR. Mesquite, Texas • North Mesquite HS
academic all-state.
Prep Earned first team all-district honors as a senior at North Mesquite High School under the direction of coach Mike Robinson... Also named
Personal Full name is Justin Ramone Backus... Son of Joseph Backus and Latonja Hamilton... Born July 19, 1994, in Dallas, Texas... Has two brothers, Jequintin and Ja’Bias, and two sisters, Ashley and Jada... A business administration major.
2010 (Freshman) Appeared in 10 games as a true freshman for the Warhawks and started eight of those contests... Started eight straight games (Arkansas State to FIU) -- all eight starts came at center... Quarterback Kolton Browning’s consecutive games with 200+ yards passing streak coincided with Allen’s starts... ULM was 5-3 in games he started. Prep Earned first team all-district honors in 2009 and was selected to play in the Team USA vs. World All-Star Game... Ranked 95th best player in the state of Texas by the Dallas Morning News... Cedar Hill finished ranked 51st in the final Rivals Top 100 in 2009 after finishing the season 11-1... Helped lead the Longhorns to the 2008 and 2009 district championship... Played both tackle and center as a senior... Also lettered in powerlifting and track & field. Personal Full name is Josh Nathanial Allen... Son of Ellen Robinson... Has two brothers, Cedric Godfrey and Demarcus Allen, and a sister, Sha Allen... Brother, Cedric, played football at Tulsa (defensive end/linebacker)... Born Dec. 30, 1991, in Dallas, Texas... Majoring in general studies.
39 • FELIX BLADE
S • 5-11 • 195 • SO. Monroe, La. • Neville HS 2012 (RS-Freshman) Did not see game action. 2011 (Freshman) Redshirted. Prep Finished three-year career at Neville High School with 28 tackles, 10 pass breakups and eight forced fumbles... Was part of the 2009 State Championship team... Also a member of the baseball and track teams... Part of 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams that finished third and fourth in the state in 2009... Claimed fifth place in the triple jump. Personal Full name is Felix Charles Blade... Was born on Mar. 7, 1992, in Monroe, La... Son of Felix Powell and Kenyatta Blade... Has two sisters, Sha Jackson and Mackenzie Patrick... Great grandfather Lou Jackson played professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs... Cousin Isiah Wiley was a cornerback at Southern Cal... Majoring in Kinesiology.
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2013 ULM FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE