Football: Tatford Named To Sun Belt Conference Leadership Team

Award recognizes outstanding work off the field

NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football player Evan Tatford was one of 11 student-athletes named earlier this week to the Sun Belt Conference’s Leadership Team, which recognizes outstanding work off the field.
 
The Sun Belt Conference Leadership Team aims to recognize one individual from each institution that exemplifies the highest qualities of being a true student-athlete. The award is given to a letter-winning student-athlete, based on leadership, sportsmanship, community service, citizenship, academic excellence and any other qualities valued by the institution.
 
Tatford, a Lafayette native, played in all 13 games for the Ragin’ Cajuns as a special teams member and reserve tight end. In his first season with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Tatford caught passes against Southern, Boise State and Texas State, and helped Louisiana record its fourth consecutive nine-win season, culminated by a fourth straight win in the R�L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
 
In the classroom, Tatford has been a member of both the Dean’s List and President’s List at UL and carries a 3.76 grade point average in biology. Tatford was named the UL Male Student-Athlete of the Year for the 2014-15 academic year and is currently serving a two-year term as the Sun Belt Conference representative on the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
 
Tatford, who will be a senior in 2015, has been a member of the UL Student-Athlete Advisory Committee since transferring from Tulane in 2013. He has been active in many community service projects with the Ragin’ Cajuns, including visiting local hospitals, participating in the "Big Event" and working with Special Olympics, raising money for the annual Adopt A Family for Christmas, and coordinating the annual Welcome Back Convocation for Ragin’ Cajuns student-athletes and staff.