SALISBURY – The Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) announced the 2022 All-Super Region Two football team Thursday afternoon with five players from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the nation's oldest historically Black athletic conference, being selected.
Kevin Larkins Jr. is the only first-year player to make the All-Super Region Two team.
Honorees from the CIAA were headlined by Virginia Union running back Jada Byers, who was chosen as the 2022 D2CCA Super Region Two Offensive Player of the Year. Joining Byers on the all-region first team was Bowie State defensive lineman Joshua Pryor. The second-team all-region selections from the conference included Bowie State tight end Jordan Griffin, Chowan linebacker Montre Moore, and Livingstone defensive back Kevin Larkins Jr.
Larkins Jr., the 2022 CIAA Defensive Rookie of the Year, is the leader in Division II with eight interceptions, and the Ft. Lauderdale, FL native is the only first-year student-athlete to make the All-Super Region Two team. Larkins Jr was all first-team All-CIAA selections.
First-team all-region selections will be placed on the ballot for All-America consideration. To see the full list of players selected to the 2022 D2CCA All-Super Region Two Football Team, click HERE.
"Coach Williams was out recruiting and called me and said he found a special one," said head coach Sean Gilbert. "We could see it during spring practice as well fall camp. His confidence was growing, his technique and his awareness were getting better and better."
The honor is the fifth for Larkins Jr. this year as he's been named CIAA player of the week, CIAA Defensive Rookie of the Year, First-Team All-CIAA, and Defensive All-CIAA Rookie Team. Larkins finished the season with eight total interceptions, 161 interception return yards, one interception return touchdown, and .9 interceptions per game. Kevin ended the 2022 season number one in the nation and the CIAA for interception per game.
"Every practice, every play, and every game he remained focused, and his mind was set on his preseason goals," said coach Gilbert. "Defensive Coordinator Mike Austin told him before the season started that his goals should be 8-10 interceptions."
Larkins Jr., who is a true freshman at Livingstone College, became the first CIAA player since 2019 to record three interceptions in a single game. In the 28-14 loss to Shaw, Larkins jr. logged nine total tackles (seven solo stops), three interceptions, and two pass deflections.
