VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Wildcats saw two top performers get recognized regionally today. Fort Valley State's Dejuan Bell and Jemeil Jackson garnered D2 CCA Football All-South Region Second Team status for their season of work.

The return specialist, Bell, and offensive tackle, Jackson, helped FVSU record a 7-3 campaign for the 2023 regular season. Both Wildcats were All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team picks.

Bell burst onto the scene with a 94-yard kick return for a touchdown in the season opener and he went on to be the SIAC's top return specialist. The graduate student finished with the SIAC's top kick return yards with 635, 2nd in number of kick returns with 27 and 2nd in average per return at 23.5 yards, but the average leader had 15 fewer return attempts. The North Augusta, S.C., product had two other kick returns for touchdowns called back due to penalty along with the longest return for a score in the SIAC against Tuskegee. He also had six games with at least 65 yards in kick returns with 5 for 111 yards versus EWU; 2 for 97 vs. Tuskegee; 2 for 65 at Clark Atlanta; 2 for 66 at Kentucky State; 5 for 84 at Benedict; and 2 for 73 vs. Virginia University Lynchburg.

Anchoring the offensive line, Jackson cleared the way for another top SIAC running back in Brandon Marshall and protected the FVSU quarterbacks to a tune of only 10 sacks allowed in 10 games. Jackson earned All-SIAC First Team status for the first time. The three-year Wildcat starter fulfilled the prediction of making the top team as he was voted to the Preseason First Team. The junior from Hampton, Ga., was part of the FVSU offensive line which helped the team average 320.6 yards of total offense per outing.

Both Bell and Jackson will be back on the gridiron when FVSU takes on Johnson C. Smith in the Florida Beach Bowl on Wednesday night, Dec. 13, in a 7:30 p.m. kick-off in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.





 

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