Lamar sports information

CHICAGO – Just seven days after garnering AP All-America honors, Lamar seniors Garrett Bowery and Davon Jernigan have been named to the STATS FCS All-America squad, FCS senior editor Craig Haley announced Tuesday morning.

Bowery led the charge for the Cardinals’ “bigger, faster, stronger” mantra during the offseason. A member of Schultz’s first signing class, Bowery was the linchpin for an offensive front that led the Southland in rush offense averaging better than 250 yards per game. He started all 12 games for the Cardinals and helped spark an offense that led to one of the largest single-season turnarounds in the country. LU closed the regular season by winning six-straight games to advance to the NCAA FCS playoffs for the first time in program history.

A first-team AP All-American, Bowery ended the regular season becoming LU’s first Southland offensive lineman of the year and a first-team all-conference selection.

One of only six league players to record at least 100 tackles this season, Jernigan led the Cards and finished third in the league with 111 total tackles, including 76 solo stops. Jernigan had his biggest impact when opposing offenses attempted to throw the ball against the Red and White. Jernigan finished tied for second in the Southland with four interceptions and tied for first in the league with 15 pass breakups.
Jernigan played in 42 games during his career, earning 21 starts, but he saved his best for his senior season. He posted career numbers in his final year in a Red and White uniform to garner first-team all-conference honors and lead the Cardinals to their first appearance in the NCAA FCS Playoffs. The Navasota native posted four double-figure tackle efforts in 2018 but none bigger than his career-high 16 in the team’s upset victory over nationally ranked Sam Houston State.

The victory over the Bearkats was one of three over top 25 opponents for LU in 2018.