The season is now well underway for the Demopolis Tigers football team. But it’s also well underway for a number of recent DHS players who have moved on to take on important roles for their college’s varsity football squads.

Two Gulf South Conference NCAA Division II teams now feature a pair of former DHS players. One of those two is the University of North Alabama. The Lions’ depth chart features DHS Class of 2005 performer Vince Jackson as a cornerback on the UNA second team. Although he has yet to register a tackle or a defended pass on the official scoresheet, Jackson has seen action in each of the Lions’ two games, blowout wins over Tusculum and Arkansas-Monticello.

Joining Jackson on the UNA roster is former DHS quarterback Dusty Goodwin. Goodwin, a sophomore, has transferred to UNA after walking on at Auburn and is one of several quarterbacks vying for playing time behind senior starter Vinnie Saylor.

When the Lions host the Delta State Statesmen this coming Saturday in Florence, however, UNA won’t be the only team on the field with a Goodwin waiting on the sidelines. The Statesmen have their own former DHS QB, Dusty’s younger brother Devin Goodwin. Goodwin is listed as DSU’s third-string quarterback and has yet to see the field for Delta State. A redshirt year is a possibility.

That will not be the case for the fourth former DHS Tiger on the field in Florence, Statesmen freshman nickelback Chad Schroeder. Schroeder has seen playing time in two of DSU’s three games, and made his first career tackle last week at home against the West Alabama Tigers in a 48-14 win.

Another member of DHS’s 2004 state championship team, All-State defensive tackle Ray Williams, has made his way into his team’s scorebook as well. Williams has made the D I-AA Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks’ second-string as a freshman, and came up with a big play in the first game of his college career. After Central Arkansas’s quarterback was sacked and fumbled in the Skyhawks’ season opener Sept. 3, Williams feel on the ball for a fumble recovery deep in UCA territory. The Skyhawks would take advantage with a touchdown on their way to a 35-34 win.

Complete statistics from the Skyhawks’ second game, a 56-7 loss against DI Arkansas State, have not yet been made available by the UTM or ASU websites.

One ex-DHS player who has not been able to take part in the 2005 season yet is Colby Roberts. The former Tiger receiver’s current team, the DIII Mississippi College Choctaws, have not opened their season yet after their Sept. 3 game was postponed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the Choctaws had an open date scheduled for Sept. 10. The Choctaws will begin their season playing at Sul Ross State in Alpine, TX this Saturday.