Liberty’s Demario Douglas named to FWAA Freshman All-America Team

Liberty’s Demario Douglas was selected to the 2020 Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team.

A 13-person panel of nationally prominent college football experts represented each of the FBS conferences along with independents in the selecting the team.

Both true freshmen (17 players) and redshirt freshmen (15 players) were considered for the team and are so noted.

Douglas is the second player in program history to be named to a FWAA Freshman All-America team. He joins defensive lineman Austin Lewis, who was selected to the listing in 2018. Lewis’ selection accounted for Liberty’s first All-America honor at the FBS level.

Douglas was named to the FWAA Freshman All-America team as a punt returner. The redshirt freshman finished 2020 ranked No. 9 in the country in punt return average (11.1 yards per return).

The native of Jacksonville, Fla., finished the year with 15 punt returns for 166 yards, including a 73-yard return for a touchdown against ULM on Oct. 10. Additionally, he ranked second on Liberty’s roster with 32 receptions for 363 yards and three touchdowns.

Douglas joins quarterback Malik Willis and defensive end Durrell Johnson on the list of Liberty Flames to earn All-America status in 2020. Johnson was a fourth-team selection on the 2020 Phil Steele Postseason All-America, while Willis earned an honorable mention All-America selection on the same team.

Liberty had a season of “firsts” in 2020, including the team’s first-ever national ranking, first win over an ACC opponent, the best start in school history (8-0 to start 2020), first-ever win over a top-25 FBS program and back-to-back bowl game wins.

Liberty defeated a pair of ACC foes in Syracuse and in-state opponent Virginia Tech. The two wins made Liberty the first non-Power 5 team to post a pair of wins over Power 5 schools in the same season since Houston in 2015.

The Flames finished the season with a 10-1 record, tying the program’s record for wins in a season (Liberty finished the 2008 season with a 10-2 record).

With the Cure Bowl win over its former Big South rivals, Liberty became the second transitioning team in NCAA history to win consecutive bowl games during its first two full seasons at the FBS level.