HAMMOND – In the changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics, student-athletes playing their whole careers for one program has become rare.

Owing to the strength of the culture within the Southeastern Louisiana University football program, 18 current members of the Lion roster have been part of the program four years or more with SLU serving as the only stop on their post-high school athletic journey.

A select group of six members of the Southeastern roster have made the most of their collegiate experience. Tight end Cade Collier, defensive back Blayne Delahoussaye, offensive lineman Noah Devlin, linebacker Justin Dumas, wide receiver Da’Shun Hugley and offensive lineman Javin Turner all enter their sixth year in Hammond this fall.

“These six guys are all staples of our program,” Southeastern head coach Frank Scelfo said. “They all contribute in so many ways both on and off the field. I’m heading into my eighth season in Hammond, and these young men are heading into their sixth season with us. They’ve all been a huge part of what we’ve done here, and it’s going to be hard to see them go on Senior Day.”

SLU Director of Athletics Jay Artigues has the goal for every Lion and Lady Lion to walk across the stage at graduation to receive their degree with a championship ring on their finger.

Each member of the “Sixth-Year Six” has earned a Southeastern diploma. Each one has a championship ring from the 2022 Southland Conference title run.

And to a man, each of them head into their final campaigns in the Green and Gold hungry for more.

The sixth-year players have endured through one of the most unique stretches in Southeastern football history. Their first collegiate season was moved from the fall to the spring due to a global pandemic. After a seven-game spring schedule, the Lions turned around that fall and made a run into the second round of the NCAA FCS playoffs.

That 2021 fall season will be remembered in large part for the effects of Hurricane Ida, which hammered southeast Louisiana in late August 2021. Southeastern’s scheduled home game versus North Alabama to open the season was moved to UNA, and the entire Lion football program was moved to Alabama for the first two weeks of the season – a bonding experience that all the sixth-year players credited with bringing the team closer.

All six also cited winning the Southland Conference championship in 2022 as their favorite memory as a Lion, with many of them remembering SLU’s dramatic 41-35 walk-off win over No. 4 UIW particularly fondly.

While Collier, Delahoussaye, Devlin, Dumas, Hugley and Turner all are back to compete for another Southland Conference title, they each have their own unique journeys.

TE Cade Collier

“I remember sitting in his house on an in-home visit,” Scelfo said. “The first time I met him, I was thinking ‘Whoa, that’s a tall drink of water’.”

Collier’s 6-foot-6 height enticed Scelfo and his staff, but Collier did not see action in his first two seasons in Hammond.

“I was underdeveloped when I first got here,” Collier said. “I just had to stay down until it was my time to come up. I knew I had to stay focused and grounded.”

Collier saw his first significant playing time on special teams and has been the deep snapper on punts for the Lions for the past two years. After playing behind All-Southland Conference tight ends Nolan Givan, Ivan Drobocky and Bauer Sharp earlier in his career, Collier was SLU’s top tight end in 2024, finishing with 17 catches for 155 yards, including touchdown receptions in wins over HCU and East Texas A&M.

“Cade gets better and more valuable each year for us,” Scelfo said. “He’s been outstanding as our deep snapper on punts and has parlayed that into being a weapon on our offense.”

Collier, who represented the Lions at last month’s Southland Conference Football Opening Drive, is poised for a successful 2025 season as he works towards a master’s degree in business administration.

DB Blayne

While Scelfo and Delahoussaye grew up in the same area, the shared stomping grounds wasn’t what drew Scelfo’s attention during the recruiting process.

“When we first brought him in, he was so skinny,” Scelfo said. “But the more we saw him on the field, it was obvious he could run and loved to compete.”

Delahoussaye played in four games in the 2020 season played in the spring of 2021, before moving into a starting cornerback role that fall during SLU’s run to the FCS playoffs.

But since then, injuries have robbed playing time from Delahoussaye. After missing the entire 2022 season, he was limited to just 10 games combined in the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.

“I was fortunate to have good teammates around me,” Delahoussaye said of those extended absences due to injury. “I put my trust in God, and my faith helped guide me through the hard times. There were definitely a lot of tough nights, but my family and team were a great support for me. I love football and my teammates, so even when I would get down about my injuries, I was always happy to be here.”

Delahoussaye, who earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, is planning on working towards a career in physical therapy when his playing days are finished. However, Delahoussaye is focused on the present and finishing his collegiate career the right way.

“I missed half the season with a hamstring injury last season before I came back late in the year,” Delahoussaye said. “We were so close to winning a conference championship, I just didn’t want to go out like that.”

Scelfo wants a fully healthy 2025 season for the Lion cornerback.

“Blayne has battled back from so many different injuries,” Scelfo said. “When he’s been healthy and available, he’s been a really good player for us.”

OL Noah Devlin

Devlin was an All-State performer at De La Salle High School, but like Collier, he didn’t see action in his first two seasons.

“My teammates helped and were always a great group of guys to be around,” Devlin said. “I’ve always loved my teammates. They all encouraged me to keep working and eventually I’d get the playing time.”

Devlin continued to see his playing time increase, playing in 21 games over the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Last fall, Devlin stepped in after an injury to a teammate to start at right tackle in SLC victories over Northwestern State and Nicholls.

“It took Noah some time to get going, but once he did, he’s really done a great job for us.” Scelfo said. “He was forced to step in last year because of some injuries, and he graded higher than the starter he replaced. And now he’s in line to be our starting right tackle. I’ve been fortunate to see Noah grow up within our program and am excited to watch what he becomes later in life.”

LB Justin Dumas

Dumas was a high school quarterback at St. Charles Catholic, but was shifted to defense – a position he hadn’t played since middle school – when he arrived in Hammond. He started his collegiate career in the secondary, before making the switch to linebacker prior to the 2024 season.

Dumas also plays a key role on special teams and serves as the holder on field goal and extra point attempts. During his Southeastern career, the versatile Dumas has intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown, ran a touchdown in for a score on a fake field goal and completed a pass on a fake punt.

“Justin’s football IQ is off the charts,” Scelfo said of Dumas’ versatility. “We really could play him anywhere – he could play running back for us if we needed him to.”

Dumas embraces his “jack-of-all-trades” role with the Lions.

“When I was a kid, my parents put me in different situations to help me get a feel for everything,” Dumas said. “The more you can contribute to the team, the more valuable you can be. I’ll do whatever I need to do to help the team be successful.”

Scelfo emphasized that Dumas’ contribution goes far behind what he does in the field. Faith is a strong motivating factor for the man who SLU’s eight-year head coach refers to as the team’s “spiritual leader.”

“My faith is everything to me,” Dumas said. “You’re going to go through adversity in football and life, but no matter the obstacle, you have to keep pushing and put it in God’s hands. That attitude has carried me a long way.”

WR Da’Shun Hugley

Hugley came to Southeastern out of Mentorship Academy in Baton Rouge and was the first Division I player produced by the Sharks. But like Collier and Devlin, Hugley struggled to earn playing time in his first several seasons in Hammond.

“Da’Shun is a guy who came in as a walk-on and worked his tail off to earn a scholarship,” Scelfo said. “He definitely struggled when he first got here, but he pulled himself up and has taken advantage of his opportunities. It’s very rewarding as a coach to see our players grow into men within our program and Da’Shun is a great example of that.”

In addition to his contributions as a wide receiver, Scelfo touted Hugley’s contributions on special teams. Hugley takes pride in his role in that area.

“Playing special teams is my favorite thing to do on the field,” Hugley said. “On special teams, you have to have the mindset of ‘I’m willing to do whatever’s needed to help my team.’ ”

OL Javin Turner

Turner has entrenched himself as a starting guard for the Lions over the past three seasons, but when he was coming out of Patterson High School, Scelfo admits he had his doubts.

“I thought Javin was too small, and I really didn’t know if he could play at this level,” Scelfo said. “And he’s proven me wrong every step of the way. He wasn’t prepared to play for us when he first got here, but he’s put in the work to improve to not only earn playing time, but play well. Javin’s effort and leadership will be tough to replace.”

It appeared as if that replacement would have to take place this fall. Turner actually walked on Senior Day in 2024, prepared to forgo his last year of eligibility before he had a change of heart.

“I love Hammond, and I love the friendships I’ve made as part of this team,” Turner said. “I wanted to finish what I started here as a Lion, and it was also an opportunity to continue to work towards my master’s degree in strategic communication.”

Scelfo cites the veteran players who have remained with the program as the foundation of the success the Lions have enjoyed during his tenure. He said: “We’ve been successful because of the strength of the culture within our locker room and the high standard we hold ourselves to.”

“These days everyone wants us to bring in a bunch of new transfers and we’re supposed to plug them in and automatically be better,” Scelfo said. “That may work in some sports, but it doesn’t work in football.

“We’ve been successful because of the strength of the culture within our locker room and the high standard we hold ourselves to,” Scelfo added. “And that comes from our players. The guys who have been here four, five and six years are the ones who teach the freshmen and new players by passing on our expectations and the way we do things. If we want to continue to foster a positive environment throughout our program, we have to focus on the retention of the guys we’ve developed into the leaders of our team.”

Southeastern closes its second week of fall practice with a 9 a.m. practice today in Strawberry Stadium. SLU opens the 2025 campaign Aug. 30 with a 6:30 p.m. contest at Louisiana Tech. The Lions open their five-game home schedule Sept. 13, hosting Mississippi Valley State at 6 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium.