FRISCO, Texas – Just 48 hours after finding out they have advanced to the 2025 NCAA FCS Playoffs, 10 members of the Lamar University football team have been named All-Southland Conference, including five first-team selections. The Cardinals' honorees include four offensive players, three on the defensive side of the ball and three specialist.
The first-team honorees are Devyn Gibbs (tight end), Reggie Brooks and Knox Boyd (offensive line), Ben Woodard (kicker) and Kristian Pugh (defensive back), while the second-team selections Kortez Winslow (offensive line), Peyton Christian (defensive line), Paul Omodia (defensive back), LaDamion McDowell (kick returner) and Kyndon Fuselier (punt returner).
Since LU head coach Pete Rossomando's arrival in Beaumont, 25 Cardinals have been named to the postseason squad. The 10 Cardinals named all-conference this year are the most since 2018, which was also the last time Lamar advanced to the FCS Playoffs.
Gibbs backed up his second-team All-SLC nod last season by taking things up a notch as a senior. Known as a strong blocker, Gibbs is also a threat to break a big play. He played in 11 games making 10 starts and finished tied for third on the squad with 17 receptions for 140 yards (8.2 ypr).
Brooks and Boyd teamed up with Winslow to create one of the most intimidating offensive fronts in the Southland. All five of the Cardinals' offensive lineman started every game providing a unique level of consistency in the run game and pass blocking for quarterbacks Robert Coleman and Aiden McCown.
One of the top defensive backs over the course of the past four years, Beaumont native Kristian Pugh has been a weapon for the Cardinals in the secondary. Tied for the league lead with four interceptions, Pugh has seven for his career and one each in the past two games. He led the Cardinals with 83 tackles, including 6.5 for losses to go along with five pass deflections and two forced fumbles. He was joined in the defensive secondary by Omodia who the Cardinals acquired through the transfer portal. Omodia made 51 stops for the Cardinals, including two for losses, but led the league with 12 pass deflections.
A run-stopping force in the middle of the Cardinals' defensive line, Christian was a key reason for one of the best LU defenses in school history. Christian finished the regular season with 37 tackles, including 4.0 behind the line of scrimmage. Of his 4.0 TFLs, three were sacks. He also recorded three quarterback hurries on the year.
Lamar had arguably the best special teams play in the Southland Conference this past season bringing home the majority of the league's special teams player of the week awards. Two of Lamar's three all-conference specialists earned STATS FCS National Special Teams Players of the Week (Woodard and Fuselier) honors. Woodard was one of the recipients of the national honor following a game where he booted two 50-plus yard field goals in the same game. The first a career-long 53-yarder as time expired in the first half. He would come right back to drill a game-winning 57-yard field goal (which tied a school record). It would be one of three kicks of at least 50 yards this season. During his career, Woodard has converted two game-winning field goals of 50 yards or more.
The Cardinals dominated the return game this season – led by Fuselier and McDowell. Also a STATS FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week this season, Fuselier finished second in the Southland and ranked among the national leaders averaging 14.83 yards per return with a touchdown. The punt return for a score was an 88-yard return late in the fourth quarter against Nicholls which was the game-winning score. Fuselier was a two-time SLC Special Teams Player of the Week selection as a senior.
Similar to Fuselier, McDowell was one of the league's most feared kick returners as a freshman. The speedster returned a league-best 22 kicks for 510 yards and ranked fourth in the league averaging 23.2 yards per return.
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