Demario Davis stars, 3 Sun Belt alumni make season debuts in NFL Week 6

NEW ORLEANS — For the second time over the past three weeks, Arkansas State product Demario Davis tallied a season-high nine tackles for the New Orleans Saints to headline the Sun Belt’s showings in Week 6 of the 2022 National Football League (NFL) season.

The veteran linebacker remains on pace for his sixth-straight 100-tackles season and has played every defensive snap for the Saints through six games. Davis added a season-high two sacks, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits.

Defensive back Chandon Sullivan of the Minnesota Vikings via Georgia State (4 tackles), defensive lineman Vinny Curry of the New York Jets by way of Marshall (3 tackles), linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither of the Cincinnati Bengals via App State (2 tackles), defensive back Kindle Vildor of the Chicago Bears by way of Georgia Southern (2 tackles) and defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers via Southern Miss (2 tackles) also posted multi-tackle efforts. Sullivan and Curry each registered a tackle for loss, while Sullivan and Vildor added a pass defended.

Curry’s appearance was his Jets debut after being activated from the injured reserve on October 15. The defensive lineman, who had appeared in 123 NFL games from 2012-2020, missed last season due to complications form a splenectomy—necessitated by a rare blood disorder that resulted in an enlarged spleen. Defensive backs Tae Hayes out of App State and Anthony Chesley out of Coastal Carolina also made their season debuts for the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively.

Southern Miss alumnus Tim Jones, a wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars, made a 20-yard reception for his first NFL catch.

Four other Sun Belt alumni—tight end Isaiah Likely of the Baltimore Ravens via Coastal Carolina (2 receptions, 30 yards), running back Jerick McKinnon of the Kansas City Chiefs via Georgia Southern (3 receptions, 29 yards), tight end Gerald Everett of the Los Angeles Chargers via South Alabama (5 receptions, 29 yards) and running back J.D. McKissic of the Washington Commanders via Arkansas State (2 rushes, 20 yards)—also carded 20-yard outings on the offensive side of the ball.

Denver Broncos punter Corliss Waitman, a South Alabama product, tallied 323 yards on seven punts. Buffalo Bills punter Sam Martin, an App State alum, accumulated 108 yards on two punts.

The Sun Belt’s kicking trio of Tyler Bass (Georgia Southern, Buffalo Bills), Younghoe Koo (Georgia Southern, Atlanta Falcons) and Wil Lutz (Georgia State, New Orleans Saints) combined to go a perfect 5-for-5 on field goal attempts and 9-for-9 on extra points. Lutz kicked a season-high four field goals, while Bass booted the week’s longest field goal at 39 yards.

Seventy-six Sun Belt alumni earned NFL roster spots entering the 2022 season, with 47 on active rosters, 11 on 16-man practice squads and 13 on reserve lists during Week 6.

Ten Sun Belt alumni earned starts for their NFL teams in Week 6, while 33 saw game action.

Sun Belt football alumni dot 30-of-32 NFL rosters.

App State
Akeem Davis-Gaither – LB, Cincinnati Bengals (1 G, 2 Tackles)
* Darrynton Evans – RB, Chicago Bears
Colby Gossett – OL, Atlanta Falcons (1 G)
Tae Hayes – DB, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 1 Tackle)
^ Thomas Hennigan – WR, Minnesota Vikings
^ D’Marco Jackson – LB, New Orleans Saints
Shemar Jean-Charles – DB, Green Bay Packers (1 G)
Shaun Jolly – DB, Los Angeles Rams (DNP)
Sam Martin – P, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Punts, 108 Yards)
* Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons
Demetrius Taylor – DL, Detroit Lions (Bye Week)
* Josh Thomas – S, Arizona Cardinals
Jalen Virgil – WR, Denver Broncos (DNP)

Arkansas State
Demario Davis – LB, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 1 GS, 9 Tackles, 2 TFL, 2.0 Sacks, 2 QB Hits)
* Aaron Donkor – LB, Seattle Seahawks
J.D. McKissic – RB, Washington Commanders (1 G, 2 Rushes, 20 Yards)
^ Forrest Merrill – DL, Los Angeles Chargers
* Kirk Merritt – WR, New Orleans Saints
^ Chris Odom – DE, Cleveland Browns

Coastal Carolina
Anthony Chesley – DB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Jeff Gunter – DE, Cincinnati Bengals (DNP)
Tarron Jackson – DE, Philadelphia Eagles (DNP)
Isaiah Likely – TE, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 2 Receptions, 30 Yards)

Georgia Southern
Tyler Bass – K, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 1-for-1 FG, 3-for-3 XP)
Matt Breida – RB, New York Giants (1 G, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards)
* Raymond Johnson III – DE, Cincinnati Bengals
Younghoe Koo – K, Atlanta Falcons (1 G, 1 GS, 4-for-4 XP)
Jerick McKinnon – RB, Kansas City Chiefs (1 G, 2 Rushes, 1 Yard, 3 Receptions, 29 Yards)
Kindle Vildor, DB, Chicago Bears (1 G, 2 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)

Georgia State
* Roger Carter Jr. – TE, Los Angeles Rams
Penny Hart – WR, Seattle Seahawks (DNP)
Wil Lutz – K, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 1 GS, 4-for-4 FG, 2-for-2 XP)
Chandon Sullivan – DB, Minnesota Vikings (1 G, 4 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Pass Defended)
Albert Wilson – WR, Las Vegas Raiders (Bye Week)

James Madison
* Mike Greene – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dean Marlowe – S, Atlanta Falcons (1 G, 1 Tackle)
^ Aaron Stinnie – OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
^ Josh Wells – OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Louisiana
Percy Butler – S, Washington Commanders (DNP)
Kevin Dotson – OL, Pittsburgh Steelers (1 G, 1 GS)
Robert Hunt – OL, Miami Dolphins (1 G, 1 GS)
^ Elijah Mitchell – RB, San Francisco 49ers
^ Max Mitchell – OL, New York Jets
* Christian Ringo – DT, New Orleans Saints
^ Tracy Walker III – S, Detroit Lions

Marshall
Josh Ball – OL, Dallas Cowboys (DNP)
Vinny Curry – DL, New York Jets (1 G, 3 Tackles, 1 TFL)
Neville Hewitt – LB, Houston Texans (Bye Week)
^ Chris Jackson – DB, Tennessee Titans
Nazeeh Johnson – S, Kansas City Chiefs (1 G)

Old Dominion
* Travis Fulgham – WR, Green Bay Packers
Taylor Heinicke – QB, Washington Commanders (DNP)
Rick Lovato – LS, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G, 1 GS)
Zach Pascal – WR, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G, 1 Tackle)
^ Stone Smartt – TE, Los Angeles Chargers
^ Isaac Weaver – OL, Los Angeles Chargers
Oshane Ximines – LB, New York Giants (1 G, 1 Tackle, 1 TFL)

South Alabama
^ Kawaan Baker – WR, New Orleans Saints
Gerald Everett – TE, Los Angeles Chargers (1 G, 5 Receptions, 29 Yards)
Jeremy Reaves – S, Washington Commanders (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Jalen Tolbert – WR, Dallas Cowboys (1 G)
Corliss Waitman – P, Denver Broncos (1 G, 1 GS, 7 Punts, 323 Yards)

Southern Miss
Tim Jones – WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 G, 1 Reception, 20 Yards)
Tarvarius Moore – DB, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Nick Mullens – QB, Minnesota Vikings (DNP)
Rakeem Nunez-Roches – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Tackles)
* Cameron Tom – OL, Philadelphia Eagles
Quez Watkins – WR, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G)

Texas State
Aaron Brewer – OL, Tennessee Titans (Bye Week)
David Mayo – LB, Washington Commanders (1 G, 1 Tackle)

Troy
Mario Addison – DL, Houston Texans (Bye Week)

* Practice Squad
^ Injured & Other Reserve

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