Liberty punt returner (and wide receiver) Demario Douglas was named an All-American by the Football Writers Association of America on Monday. Douglas is the second player in program history to be named to a FWAA Freshman All-American team, joining defensive lineman Austin Lewis who was selected to the listing in 2018. Lewis’ selection was Liberty’s first All-America honor at the FBS level.
Douglas earned the honors as a punt returner. The redshirt-freshman finished the 2020 season ranked No. 9 in the country in punt return average with 11.1 yards per return. He finished the year with 15 punt returns for 166 yards including a 73-yard return for a touchdown against Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 10. He was also a key member of Liberty’s receiving corps, as he had 32 catches for 363 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Douglas is not the first Flame to be named an All-American following the program’s best ever season in 2020, as he joins quarterback Malik Willis and defensive end Durrell Johnson who previously earned the honor. Johnson was a fourth-team selection on the 2020 Phil Steele Postseason All-American team while Willis was named an honorable mention All-American on the same team.
