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Three-time All-Southland Conference safety Malcolm Bronson is joined by fellow first team offensive lineman Alec Savoie as two of six McNeese Cowboy football players to be named to the 2012 Preseason All-Southland Conference football teams the league announced Tuesday in advance of next week's media day at L'Auberge du Lac Resort.

The two were selected to the first team unit while punt returner Darius Carey, defensive tackle Pat Williams, and offensive linemen Jonathan Landry and Miguel Gauthreaux were named to the second team.

The Cowboys return 15 starters, including nine on offense, from a team that finished 6-5 in 2011 and 4-3 in conference play.

In all, a total of 35 of the 52 players who earned all-conference honors after the 2011 season garnered 2012 preseason all-conference spots. Twenty-five of the 26 first team selections, including all the defensive members, highlight the two teams that also see nine second-team picks return for an automatic spot on the preseason squads. Four of the conference's individual award winners from last year are back, including Sam Houston State juniors Tim Flanders and Richard Sincere, the league's player of the year and offensive player of the year, respectively, along with senior teammate Darnell Taylor, the reigning defensive player of the year, and Stephen F. Austin junior Willie Jefferson, the conference's newcomer of the year a season ago.

Bronson, a senior from Jasper, Texas, returns to a defense that was second in the conference in pass defense (194.5 yards per game) and third in total defense (331.6 yards per game). Bronson also led the team in tackles with 90, including 72 solo stops, and was second on the team with three interceptions.

He's looking to join his uncle, Zack Bronson, as the only two Cowboys to earn first team postseason honors in school history and the sixth in conference history.

Savoie, a senior from Lafeyette, leads an offense that ranked second in the league in rushing last season with 148.1 yards per game, which helped them also rank second in time of possession, holding the ball for more than 31 minutes per game.

Carey was named to four postseason all-America teams last year after he led the league and ranked second in the nation in punt returns with a 16.9 per return average. The New Orleans native earned Southland honorable mention honors in 2011 after racking up a 121.8 all-purpose yards per game average.

Williams ranked sixth on the team with 46 tackles a year ago to go along with seven tackles for a loss - second on the squad. The senior from Plaquemine led the Pokes with three sacks on the year and was credited with a safety.

Landry, a senior form Broussard, earned all-SLC honorable mention honors last season and helped anchor an offensive line that saw the offense 353 yards per game while Gauthreaux, a senior from Plaquemine, missed the entire 2011 season due to an injury and was granted another year by the NCAA. He earned first team all-conference honors in 2010 after he led the team with 27 pancake blocks and 25 knockdowns.

Returning student-athletes who earned all-conference honors at the conclusion of the 2011 season were automatically named to the preseason teams. Head coaches from the eight schools that play football in the Southland Conference voted for the remaining 17 positions, which included one on the first-team offense, 10 positions on the second-team offense and six on the second-team defense. Coaches could not vote for their own players.



2012 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Teams
First-Team Offense
Pos. Name University Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
QB Brian Bell Sam Houston State 6-2 175 Jr. China Spring, Texas
RB Tim Flanders Sam Houston State 5-9 210 Jr. Midwest City, Okla.
RB Jackie Hinton Central Arkansas 5-10 203 Sr. Houston Texas
FB/HB Richard Sincere Sam Houston State 5-10 180 Jr. Galveston, Texas
WR Cordell Roberson Stephen F. Austin 6-3 200 Sr. Jefferson, Texas
WR Gralyn Crawford Stephen F. Austin 5-11 175 Sr. Palestine, Texas
TE Nick Scelfo Nicholls State 6-3 245 So. Baton Rouge, La.
OL Dominique Allen Central Arkansas 6-3 288 Jr. Houston, Texas
OL Alec Savoie McNeese State 6-7 322 Sr. Lafayette, La.
OL Kaleb Hopson Sam Houston State 6-6 300 Sr. Early, Texas
OL Larry Calcote Northwestern State 6-4 284 Sr. Natchez, Miss.
OL Dan Jenkins Sam Houston State 6-4 290 Sr. Gilmer, Texas
PK John Shaughnessy Northwestern State 5-11 181 Sr. Shreveport, La.

First-Team Defense
Pos. Name University Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
DL J.T. Cleveland Sam Houston State 6-0 290 Sr. Baytown, Texas
DL Willie Jefferson Stephen F. Austin 6-6 230 Jr. Beaumont, Texas
DL Andrew Weaver Sam Houston State 6-1 240 Jr. Waco, Texas
DL Gary Lorance Sam Houston State 6-0 290 Jr. New Boston, Texas
LB Seth Allison Central Arkansas 5-11 198 Sr. Stuttgart, Ark.
LB Derek Rose Northwestern State 5-11 229 Sr. New Orleans, La.
DB Darnell Taylor Sam Houston State 6-0 195 Sr. Mesquite, Texas
DB Malcolm Bronson McNeese State 5-11 192 Sr. Jasper, Texas
DB Kenneth Jenkins Sam Houston State 5-10 195 Sr. Galveston, Texas
DB Dax Swanson Sam Houston State 5-11 185 Sr. Waco, Texas
DB Jamaal White Northwestern State 6-0 192 Sr. Garland, Texas
P Cory Kemps Nicholls State 6-2 245 Sr. Carmel, Ind.
RS Gralyn Crawford Stephen F. Austin 5-11 175 Sr. Palestine, Texas

Second-Team Offense
Pos. Name University Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
QB Brady Attaway Stephen F. Austin 6-1 205 Jr. Whitehouse, Texas
RB Marcus Washington Nicholls State 6-0 210 Jr. Lillian, Ala.
RB Jesse Turner Nicholls State 5-10 190 Sr. Houma, La.
FB/HB Mike Brooks Stephen F. Austin 5-9 170 Jr. Irving, Texas
WR Jesse Grandy Central Arkansas 5-11 167 Sr. Pine Bluff, Ark.
WR Dominique Croom Central Arkansas 6-1 193 Sr. Cherokee, Ala.
TE Tim Jones Sam Houston State 6-3 245 Sr. Tyler, Texas
OL Jonathan Landry McNeese State 6-4 295 Jr. Broussard, La.
OL Matt Boyles Sam Houston State 6-3 275 Jr. Southlake, Texas
OL John Steel Stephen F. Austin 6-5 290 Sr. Boyd, Texas
OL Miguel Gauthreaux McNeese State 6-1 291 Sr. Plaquemine, La.
OL Corey Howard Central Arkansas 6-1 290 Sr. Wichita Falls, Texas
PK Eddie Camara Central Arkansas 5-9 172 So. Cedar Hill, Texas

Second-Team Defense
Pos. Name University Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
DL Malcolm Mattox Stephen F. Austin 6-1 255 Jr. Newton, Texas
DL Preston Sanders Sam Houston State 6-3 255 Jr. Red Oak, Texas
DL Pat Williams McNeese State 6-3 270 Sr. Plaquemine, La.
DL Matt Hornbuckle Central Arkansas 6-3 281 Jr. Colleyville, Texas
LB Ryan Epperson Stephen F. Austin 6-0 225 Sr. Chandler, Texas
LB Darius Taylor Sam Houston State 6-0 240 Sr. Mesquite, Texas
DB Robert Alford Southeastern La. 6-0 180 Sr. Hammond, La.
DB Bookie Sneed Sam Houston State 6-0 180 Jr. Conroe, Texas
DB Jestin Love Central Arkansas 6-0 204 Jr. West Memphis, Ark.
DB Robert Shaw Sam Houston State 6-0 195 Sr. Converse, Texas
DB Josh Aubrey Stephen F. Austin 5-11 205 Jr. Tyler, Texas
P Matt Foster Sam Houston State 6-6 195 Sr. Melbourne, Australia
RS Darius Carey McNeese State 6-0 185 Sr. New Orleans, La.