Cactus Bowl

SAU's Babineaux In Cactus Bowl

Magnolia, Ark.-Southern Arkansas University cornerback Jordan Babineaux will play in the 2004 Whataburger Cactus Bowl All-Star game scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. at Texas A&M-Kingsville in Kingsville, Tex. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest (Channel 22 in Magnolia).

Babineaux, a 6-0, 202-pound senior from Port Arthur, Tex., is the second straight Mulerider cornerback and the fourth SAU player to be invited to participate in the Cactus Bowl. Last year, cornerback Carl Bucknor represented SAU. Wide receiver Drew Cone played in the Snow Bowl in North Dakota in 2000 before the bowl was moved to Javelina Stadium in Kingsville and changed to the Cactus Bowl. Center Trey LaValle played in the 2002 Cactus Bowl.

Nine players from the Gulf South Conference received invitations to participate in the bowl. Playing for the East team will be Babineaux, offensive tackle Darrick Sanders of Arkansas-Monticello, punter John Newberry of Central Arkansas, defensive tackle Anthony Maddox of Delta State, quarterback Will Hall of North Alabama, tight end Nathaniel Doddridge of Ouachita Baptist, and tight end Landon Trusty of Central Arkansas.

Tight end Devon Stewart of Arkansas-Monticello and defensive lineman Tommy Edwards of Arkansas Tech will play for the West squad.

Babineaux returned three kickoffs against Delta State, two of them for touchdowns. His 100-yard return for a touchdown tied NCAA and GSC records, his 100 and 96 yard touchdown returns tied the NCAA record and set a GSC record, and his 208 yards in three kick returns set a conference record. He also set two school records.

Babineaux was a D2Football.com second-team All-America defensive back, Dopke.com Division II National Special Teams Performer of the Year, first-team Daktronics All-South Region defensive back, first-team Football Gazette All-South Region defensive back, first-team All-GSC defensive back, the Football Gazette National Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 8), National Special Teams Player of the Week by both D2Football.com and the Football Gazette (Oct. 20), the GSC Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 8), and the GSC Special Team Player of the Week (Oct. 20).