JSU ALL-AMERICANS
Gary Wagner 1976
Judge Stringer 1988
Judge Stringer was a three-year starter at defensive tackle and moved to defensive end his senior season and earned All-American honors in 1988. During his three-year tenure at tackle, Stringer garnered 95 tackles and 116 assists for a total of 211. He also caused three fumbles and tallied 12 sacks. During his junior campaign, Stringer led the team in sacks with 10 and finished with 40 tackles and 53 assists. Was named an All-Gulf South Conference candidate during his senior season.
Jesse Baker
Orlando Adams
Jesse Baker was a two-time All-America at Jacksonville State. The Conyers, Ga., defensive tackle led the Gamecocks to conference titles in 1977 and 1978. As a junior, Baker earned first-team Associated Press honors and was named the top defensive player after the Grantland Rice Bowl. In 1978, he was named to the Kodak All-America team after setting a school record with seven fumble recoveries. He also had 51 tackles, 20 assists and nine sacks for 65 yards in losses. He was inducted into the Jacksonville State University Hall of Fame in 1995. Baker was selected by the Houston Oilers in the second round of the 1978 NFL draft and led the league in sacks as a rookie.
Orlando Adams made an impact on a national scale in 1989, when he earned All-America honors after collecting a team-high 102 tackles and guiding the Gamecocks to their second consecutive Gulf South Conference title. The defensive lineman recorded five sacks and 11 tackles for a loss in guiding a defense that led the GSC in passing defense and scoring defense. After a stellar career at JSU, Adams continued his football career at the pro level when he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
1977 • 1978
1991
John Sanders helped the Gamecocks to the 1991 Gulf South Conference Title and into the NCAA Division II National Championship game after earning All-American honors. Jax State posted an 12-1 record and a perfect record in the Gulf South Conference. He was a first-team All-GSC performer at defensive tackle as the Gamecocks led the GSC in total defense (267.7 yards per game) and scoring defense, allowing just 8.7 points per game.
COACHES
Danny Lee 1991 • 1992
Ed Lett
Wendell Kelley
Ed Lett garnered All-America honors in both his junior and senior seasons after guiding the Gamecocks to back-to-back Gulf South Conference titles in 1981 and 1982. In both those seasons, the quarterback was named the GSC’s Offensive Player of the Year after guiding an offense that led the GSC in rushing, total offense and scoring. His 22 touchdown passes in 1982 still stands as the school record and helped him earn “Alabama Amateur Athlete of the Year” honors. He is Jax State’s career leader in pass attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns, completion percentage and passing yards per game.
Wendell Kelley was named an All-American in 1992. A native of Oxford, Ala., Kelley was the fifth leading tackler in ’91 with 96, including 49 solos and second in sacks with five, plus a pair of pass breakups, two recovered fumbles and four forced fumbles.
Greg Lowery
Ja’Karl Barnett was a two-time All-American in 1992 and 1993. In 1993, Barnett started in 10 games for the Gamecocks, recording three interceptions for a total of 39 yards and returned one for a touchdown. In ’92, Barnett led the team in tackles with 152, including six for a loss. Barnett also tabbed seven pass breakups and a pair of interceptions. Barnett finished his JSU career with six interceptions for 81 yards and one touchdown.
1980
1992 • 1993
OVC
1986 • 1988
Joe Billingsley continued a long tradition of dominating offensive linemen from Jax State. A 6-1, 290pound player from Columbus, Miss., Billingsley earned first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press and second team honors from Football News as a sophomore in 1986 before garnering them again in 1988. In his senior year, he anchored an offensive line that paved the way for the Gamecocks’ Gulf South Conference leading 264 yards rushing per game and the school’s first conference title in six years.
Ja’Karl Barnett
HISTORY
Joe Billingsley
RECORDS
1982
Greg Lowery received All-America honors from the Associated Press in 1982 after the punter’s leg played a key role in guiding the Gamecocks to their second-straight Gulf South championship and a trip to the semifinals of the NCAA playoffs. Rhodes punted for a total of 3,268 yards, which not only led the Gulf South Conference, but still stands as the school record. Over his four-year career, he punted the ball 278 times, still the most in Jax State history. Following his JSU career, Lowery signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
1992
REVIEW
1981 • 1982
OPPONENTS
Simon Shephard was named to the Associated Press All-America team in 1980 after helping the Gamecocks to an 8-3 record and a berth into the NCAA Play-offs. Shephard, a native of Summerville, S.C., came to Jacksonville State without a scholarship, but led the Gamecocks with 84 tackles and eight sacks. He had three fumble recoveries and intercepted two passes for 47 yards.
Danny Lee was named a two-time All-American as the Gamecock halfback and kick returner. In 1992, Lee rushed the ball 89 times for 631 yards and led the team with seven touchdowns. As a punt and kick returner that season, he returned 29 punts for 400 yards and two touchdowns, breaking a long return of 90 yards. As a kick returner, Lee returned 17 kickoffs for 587 yards, carrying three back for scores, including one for 100 yards. In 1991, Lee was the second-leading rusher with 587 yards, averaging 8.15 yards a carry. Lee led the GSC in both kickoff returns and punt returns and was third in the country.
ABOUT JSU
Simon Shephard
John Sanders
GAMECOCKS
1977 • 1978
Butch Barker earned consecutive All-America honors in 1977 and 1978. The Weaver, Ala., native set the school record for career touchdown receptions with 14 in addition to being honored as one of the top five student-athletes in the country by the NCAA. He finished the 1978 season by leading the Gamecocks in receptions with 53 for 570 yards and four touchdowns. He was named Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America in 1977 and 1978.
1989
OUTLOOK
Butch Barker
INTRO
Gary Wagner played linebacker well enough to make all-conference as a junior, but he really came into his own as a middle guard during his senior season. Wagner, note for his quickness and ability to block punts, field goals and extra-point attempts (17 in two years), won NAIA Little All-America honors at this position. In addition, the former Huntsville prep star was voted all-district and all-conference during the 1976 season, when Jax State did not allow a rushing touchdown in the first eight games.
Curtis McDaniel 1993
Curtis McDaniel was named All-American in 1993 for the Gamecocks as a defensive tackle. During his junior campaign, McDaniel was fifth on the team with 112 tackles, third in sacks with three and second in quarterback pressures with 23. McDaniel earned first team All-Gulf South Conference honors. He recorded 10 or more tackles during six of 14 games, including 10 in the national championship contest against Pittsburg State.
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