HOUSTON - The Southeastern Louisiana football team placed five student-athletes on the 2008 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Teams which were released in conjunction with the league's Football Media Days on Tuesday.

Four of the Lions' five preseason selections were on the first team. Leading the way was senior running back Jay Lucas, along with fellow first team selections junior placekicker Jeff Turner, junior defensive back Tommy Connors and senior punter Cody Samples. Senior defensive back Marquis Powell rounded out the Southeastern contingent as a second team pick.

Defending SLC champion McNeese State led the way with 17 preseason selections. Central Arkansas followed with seven selections and Nicholls State had six representatives. Southeastern was one of four institutions with five picks, along with Sam Houston State, Northwestern State and Texas State. Stephen F. Austin placed two student-athletes on the preseason squads.

Lucas, a Baton Rouge native, was a first team selection at running back and heads into his final season riding the momentum of a breakout junior campaign in 2007. A first team All-SLC selection a year ago, the former Redemptorist High School standout rushed for a school-record 1,239 yards and 12 touchdowns. In the passing game, Lucas caught a team-high 51 passes for 485 yards and three scored. He became the fourth player in school history - and first running back - to catch 50 or more passes in a season. His 15 touchdowns led the SLC and tied a school record.

Lucas and fellow first team selection Turner were the top two scorers in the SLC in 2007, as Turner converted 17 of 20 field goal attempts - with two of his misses coming on blocks - and all but one of his 29 extra-point attempts. An honorable mention All-America selection by the Sports Network in 2007, as well as a first team All-SLC and second team All-Louisiana choice, Turner was nearly automatic after reclaiming his starting spot early in the season. The Houston Texas product's season was highlighted by hitting a SLC-record six field goals versus Texas State, earning Special Teams Player of the Week honors from the SLC and LSWA.

Turner's special teams teammate Samples allowed Southeastern to hold both kicking spots down on the SLC Preseason first team. A Ripley, Miss. native, Samples averaged 37 yards a punt in his first season out of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Samples earned SLC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after downing six points inside the 20 and helping the Lions dominate field position in a 21-3 win over Stephen F. Austin in the Southland Conference opener.

Connors, a Marrero native, will be looked upon as the leader of a young Southeastern defense. A second team All-Southland Conference selection in each of his first two seasons in Hammond, Connors was second on the team and sixth in the Southland Conference with 75 tackles in 2007. He also led the team with nine tackles for loss, ranking fourth in the league. Connors, one of the hardest hitters in the SLC, earned SLC Defensive Player of the Week honors after his performance in Southeastern's season-ending 17-13 league victory over Nicholls State. Connors helped the Lions bring the River Bell back to Hammond with 11 tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception.

Connors' secondary mate Powell, who hails from Madison, Fla. was on the way to posting high tackle numbers himself before suffering a season-ending injury midway through the 2007 campaign. In his first season out of Mississippi Gulf Coast College, Powell was credited with 30 tackles, six tackles for loss, a sack and four pass breakups in seven games he appeared in last season. Connors and Powell are slated to comprise the SLC's top safety tandem.

Southeastern will open the 2008 campaign on the road, facing Alcorn State in non-conference action on Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. in Lorman, Miss.

2008 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Teams
First Team Offense
Pos. - Name - School - Cl. - Hometown
QB - Nathan Brown - Central Arkansas - Sr. - Russellville, Ark.
RB - Jay Lucas - Southeastern Louisiana - Sr. - Baton Rouge, La.
RB - Byron Lawrence - Northwestern State - Sr. - North Little Rock, Ark.
FB - Blake Burton - Texas State - Sr. - Hungerford, Texas
WR - Cameron Luke - Texas State - Sr. - Klein, Texas
WR - Quinten Lawrence - McNeese State - Sr. - Carencro, La.
TE - Marquez Branson - Central Arkansas - Sr. - Starkville, Miss.
OL - Eman Naghavi - McNeese State - Sr. - Katy, Texas
OL - Brad Gordon - Central Arkansas - Sr. - Little Rock, Ark.
OL - Kyle Link - McNeese State - Sr. - Lake Charles, La.
OL - Lane Freiwald - Central Arkansas - Jr. - Little Rock, Ark.
OL - Lance Fremin - McNeese State - Sr. - Starkville, Miss.
PK - Jeff Turner - Southeastern Louisiana - Jr. - Houston, Texas

First Team Defense
Pos. - Name - School - Cl. - Hometown
DL - Taylor Scott - Central Arkansas - Jr. - Little Rock, Ark.
DL - Vaalyn Jackson - McNeese State - Sr. - Sulphur, La.
DL - Chris Brown - Sam Houston State - Sr. - Texarkana, Texas
DL - Albert Smith - Northwestern State - Jr. - Mathews, La.
LB - Allen Nelson - McNeese State - Sr. - Beaumont, Texas
LB - Garrick Spain - Nicholls State - Jr. - Franklin, La.
DB - Lardarius Webb - Nicholls State - Sr. - Opelika, Ala.
DB - Gary Riggs - Northwestern State - Jr. - Jennings, La.
DB - Tommy Connors - Southeastern Louisiana - Jr. - Marrero, La.
DB - Brandt Linde - McNeese State - Sr. - Mandeville, La.
DB - Ladarius Key - McNeese State - Sr. - Monroe, La.
P - Cody Samples - Southeastern Louisiana - Sr. - Ripley, Miss.
RS - Lardarius Webb - Nicholls State - Sr. - Nicholls State

Second Team Offense
QB - Derrick Fourroux - McNeese State - Jr. - Erath, La.
RB - Karrington Bush - Texas State - So. - Whitewright, Texas
RB - Toddrick Pendland - McNeese State - Jr. - Newton, Texas
FB - Dante Austin - Northwestern State - Jr. - Galveston, Texas
WR - Preston Echols - Central Arkansas - Jr. - Forrest City, Ark.
WR - Steven Whitehead - McNeese State - Sr. - Slidell, La.
TE - Wes Mangan - McNeese State - Jr. - Brenham, Texas
OL - John Dirk - Sam Houston State - Sr. - Stephenville, Texas
OL - Jeremy Ford - Central Arkansas - Sr. - Bastrop, La.
OL - David Ballard - McNeese State - Sr. - Lake Charles, La.
OL - Jeff Bowen - Texas State - Sr. - Richland Hills, Texas
OL - Nigel Cormier - Nicholls State - Sr. - Lafayette, La.
PK - Taylor Wilkins - Sam Houston State - Jr. - LaMarque, Texas

Second Team Defense
DL - Kenneth Lundy - McNeese State - Sr. - Bogalusa, La.
DL - Jairus Jarvis - Nicholls State - Jr. - Donaldsonville, La.
DL - Tim Knicky - Stephen F. Austin - Jr. - Cedar Park, Texas
DL - Erik Mikolajchak - Sam Houston State - Sr. - Houston, Texas
LB - Nolan Bucek - Sam Houston State - Sr. - Houston, Texas
LB - Jabara Williams - Stephen F. Austin - So. - Garrison, Texas
DB - Lance Moore - Nicholls State - Sr. - Leakesville, Miss.
DB - Wesley Eckles - Northwestern State - Jr. - Mansfield, La.
DB - John Vigers - McNeese State - Sr. - Baton Rouge, La.
DB - Marquis Powell - Southeastern Louisiana - Sr. - Madison, Fla.
DB - Will Thompson - Texas State - Jr. - Katy, Texas
P - Blake Bercegeay - McNeese State - Sr. - Gonzales, La.
RS - Steven Whitehead - McNeese State - Sr. - Slidell, La.