HAMMOND – After excelling in the classroom and helping Southeastern Louisiana to consecutive Southland Conference championships, Lion senior linebacker Isiah Corbett was named the Southland Conference Football Student-Athlete of the Year in an announcement from the league office on Friday.
 
Corbett, who graduated in December, is the first SLU football player to ever earn football student-athlete of the year honors. Corbett was joined on the league All-Academic teams by a pair of teammates who were previously named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 Teams in senior defensive end Jacob Newman and junior offensive lineman Joe Graves.
 
Corbett, a general studies major with a 3.24 cumulative grade point average, earned the latest honor after a postseason that has seen the linebacker receive a myriad of accolades. Previously the Belle Glade, Florida native has been named first team All-Southland and All-Louisiana, as well as All-America by both the Sports Network and Associated Press.
 
Corbett was a key member of a Lion defense that led the Southland in scoring and total defense and was tops in the FCS in pass efficiency defense. He led the team with 12.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and four interceptions to go with four interceptions.
 
Newman, an accounting major with a 3.70 grade point average, joined Corbett as one of the leaders of the SLU defensive unit. The Visalia, California native earned second team All-Southland honors after finishing the season with 34 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a team-high eight quarterback hurries.
 
Graves, who carries a 3.83 GPA in social studies education, was the team's most versatile offensive lineman, helping to bolster a SLU offense that averaged 467.0 yards and 40.2 points per game. The Covington, Louisiana product was named to the Academic All-Southland team for the second straight season and was also an All-Southland Conference choice.
 
The Southland Conference awards committee, which consists of one administrator from each of the 13 member universities, voted for the student-athlete of the year. The Southland student-athlete of the year award is presented to the one student-athlete who achieves excellence in both academics and athletics. All nominees shall have earned at least a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and demonstrated athletics achievement for at least two years at the nominating institution.
 
The All-Academic teams are voted on by the head coaches, sports information directors and academic advisors from each Southland Conference university. Student-athletes must possess a 3.0 cumulative GPA, have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution and participated in at least 50 percent of the team's competition to qualify for the all-academic squad.
 
Gravis will be one of the Lions returning to help Southeastern compete for its third straight Southland Conference title. Spring practice begins Feb. 24 with the Spring Game set for March 28.
 
2014 Southland Conference Football All-Academic Teams
 
Offense
Pos. – Name – School – Class – Hometown – GPA – Major
QB – Caleb Berry – Lamar – Sr. – Needville, Texas – 3.50 – Educational Technology Leadership
WR – Jatavious Wilson – Central Arkansas – So. – Bastrop, La. – 3.29 – Undecided
WR – Desmond Smith – Central Arkansas – Jr. – Bentonville, Ark. – 3.30 – Biology
RB – Kade Harrington – Lamar – So. – Kingwood, Texas – 3.47 – Finance
RB – Keshawn Hill – Sam Houston State – Sr. – Klein, Texas – 3.16 – General Business
TE – Cole Wick – UIW – Jr. – Hallettsville, Texas – 3.23 – Business Administration
OL – Joe Graves – Southeastern Louisiana – Jr. – Covington, La. – 3.83 – Social Studies Education
OL – Anthony Pullins – Stephen F. Austin – So. – Cedar Hill, Texas – 3.46 – Criminal Justice
OL – Horace Hayes – UIW – Sr. – Schertz, Texas – 3.83 – Chemistry
OL – Kyle Stouffer – Central Arkansas – Jr. – Dallas, Texas – 3.22 – Finance
OL – Mason Martin – McNeese State – Jr. – Pineville, La. – 3.23 – Math Education
K – Luc Swimberghe – Sam Houston State – So. – Tyler, Texas – 3.49 – Accounting
 
Defense
Pos. – Name – School – Class – Hometown – GPA – Major
DL – Jacob Newman – Southeastern Louisiana – Sr. – Visalia, Calif. – 3.70 – Accounting
DL – Nick Richardson – Abilene Christian – Sr. – Waco, Texas – 3.15 – Sociology/Criminal Justice
DL – Jonathan Woodard – Central Arkansas – Jr. – Brentwood, Tenn. – 3.00 – Health Service Administration
DL – Cole Frazier – Nicholls – Sr. – Kenner, La. – 3.37 – Business Administration/Pre-Law
*LB – Isiah Corbett – Southeastern Louisiana – Sr. – Belle Glade, Fla. – 3.24 – General Studies
LB – Padyn Giebler – UIW – Jr. – Ivan, Texas – 3.85 – Engineering Management
DB – Angel Lopez – Abilene Christian – Sr. – San Antonio, Texas – 3.44 – Biology
DB – Daryl Irby – UIW – So. – Pearland, Texas – 3.78 – Business Administration
DB – Tommie Barrett – Lamar – So. – Silsbee, Texas – 3.19 – Exercise Science
DB – Trey Vallier – Stephen F. Austin – Sr. – Henderson, Texas – 3.02 – Information Technology
DB – Josh Erwin – Houston Baptist – Jr. – Alvin, Texas – 3.04 – Physics
P – Lachlan Edwards – Sam Houston State – Jr. – Victoria, Australia – 3.41 – Kinesiology