Football: Bigger than a bowl – McGuire, four teammates to graduate

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, Dec. 16, 2016

NEW ORLEANS — Five University of Louisiana at Lafayette football players will graduate here Friday afternoon, in the ballroom of a Marriott hotel more than 100 miles away from their school of choice.

For all five — quarterback Jalen Nixon, receivers Jared Johnson and Devin Scott, punter Steven Coutts and running back Elijah McGuire — it’s a big deal.

Each has his own story.

Carencro High-product Nixon, who is engaged, had his fifth-year senior season cut short by a broken ankle. Johnson, who went straight from his honeymoon to his final preseason camp last August, missed time due to a concussion, but is good to go again. Scott blew out a knee in the offseason, but will be back for one more year in 2017. And Coutts, just a sophomore eligibility-wise, came all the way from Australia to Louisiana to play a sport he never previously had.

But for one in particular, it’s an especially big deal.

Prior to the 2016 season getting underway, McGuire and Ragin’ Cajuns coach Mark Hudspeth chatted.

McGuire briefly considered leaving UL for the NFL, but he ultimately opted to return for his senior season. And on Friday he’ll make good on a challenge presented by Hudspeth.

“I’m very proud,” McGuire said, “because I’m … one of the first people in my family to graduate from college.

“Even before the season started, me and Coach Hud talked about it. He told me he wanted me to graduate at a bowl. And I told him … ‘It’s gonna happen.’”

Both will.

The five Cajuns, including pro-prospect McGuire, will experience pomp and circumstance at the team hotel here, and not with their fellow classmates back in Lafayette, because UL is in town to play Southern Mississippi in Saturday night’s 8 p.m. New Orleans Bowl at the Superdome.

The 6-6 Cajuns made it by winning three of their last four games, including a 30-3 victory at UL Monroe on Dec. 3 that sealed the deal.

UL president Joseph Savoie will bestow their degrees in between prep for what’s now the Cajuns’ biggest game of the season.

A few minutes after graduating, the five and their teammates will head to the New Orleans Saints’ NFL facility for their final pre-bowl practice.

“He is the face of our program,” Hudspeth said of McGuire, a product of Vandebilt Catholic High in nearby Houma.

“Not only is he one of the greatest players ever to wear the Ragin’ Cajun uniform … he’s gonna graduate, then (about) 24 hours later he’ll play in a bowl game. What a great way to end your career."

McGuire will leave UL after four seasons as its career leader in all-purpose yards, points and total touchdowns.

But the bigger achievement may be what it took him just three-and-a-half years to do.

“Man, that’s huge,” UL running backs coach Marquase Lovings said of McGuire being the first from immediate-family tree to graduate from college.

“He’s changed his whole life. He’s changed his whole family.  He’s changed what ‘McGuire’ means now. Now, his kids are gonna go to college and say, ‘I need to get a degree, too.’”