SEWARD, Neb. – Fresh off one of the top seasons ever by a Concordia University football defensive player, junior linebacker Lane Napier has been named to the 2019 NAIA Preseason Starting Lineup by College Football America Yearbook (CFAY). The exclusive team includes only three linebackers from the entire NAIA. Nineteen programs had one or more selections on the squad (complete list at bottom).
Napier raked in a bevy of major awards in 2018 after leading all NAIA players with 142 tackles last fall. He also added 12.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and three pass breakups from his inside backer spot. As a result, the native of David City, Neb., reeled in Associated Press NAIA First Team All-America, Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska Defensive Honorary Captain, NAIA Honorable Mention All-America (American Football Coaches Association) and First Team All-GPAC accolades. Napier has collected first team all-conference honors in each of his first two collegiate seasons.
Napier headlines a linebacker group that will return all four starters, including Riley Bilstein, Derek Tachovsky and Zac Walter. That unit will lead head coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad into a 2019 season set to officially kick off Sept. 7 inside Bulldog Stadium versus Doane.
2019 College Football America NAIA Starting Lineup
Offense
QB – TYSON KOOIMA, Northwestern (Iowa)
RB – BRODIE FREDERIKSEN, Dakota State (S.D.)
RB – DEMARCO PREWITT, Kansas Wesleyan
WR – SHANE SOLBERG, Northwestern (Iowa)
WR – HAROLD DAVIS, Saint Xavier (Ill.)
TE – CHARLIE SIMMONS, Kansas Wesleyan
OL – DUSTIN RIVERA, Southwestern (Kan.)
OL – TRE CONEY, Reinhardt (Ga.)
OL – ELI SMITH, Kansas Wesleyan
OL – DONOVAN CORLEW, Concordia (Mich.)
OL – MATTHEW CASTNER, Cumberlands (Ky.)
Defense
DL – JT GRAYDON, Reinhardt (Ga.)
DL – SHAQ BRADFORD, Kansas Wesleyan
DL – ETHAN SKARMAS, Lyon (Ark.)
DL – JEREMY JOHNSON, Bethel (Tenn.)
LB – JASON FERRIS, Montana Western
LB – LANE NAPIER, Concordia (Neb.)
LB – DAMARCUS WIMBUSH, Bluefield (Va.)
DB – NICHOLAS HOLMES, Saint Mary (Kan.)
DB – ISAIAH MCFARLAND, Point (Ga.)
DB – GRIFFIN ZAJAC, Saint Ambrose (Iowa)
DB – NATHAN KABONGO, Dordt (Iowa)
Specialists
PK – IGNACIO GOMEZ, Lyon (Ark.)
P – DRAKE HIGGINS, Missouri Valley
AP – J’KOBI REDDICK, Bethel (Tenn.)
KR – EMETRIOUS SCOTT, Lyon (Ark.)
PR – SHAMAR MORELAND, Ottawa (Ariz.)