Football: Cajun football players graduate today

Cajun football players graduate today

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • December 20, 2008

If life worked out the way Michael Desormeaux would have liked, this weekend would have been memorable for two big reasons.

First, the New Iberia native would have graduated today from UL. Then on Sunday, the senior quarterback would have played his final game as a Cajun in the program’s first bowl game in 38 years.

Instead, Desormeaux will only get to experience one of those two life-changing moments as UL was one of only four bowl-eligible teams not invited to the postseason this year. The 23-year-old will graduate with his bachelor’s degree in general studies at 9 a.m. today in a ceremony at the Cajundome.

"Even if I couldn’t get a football scholarship, I’ve always wanted to get a college degree," Desormeaux said in his first interview since a 42-28 win over Middle Tennessee in the team’s regular season finale on Dec. 3. "I’m proud to get my degree from this university. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to.

"It’s something that you’ll always have."

Desormeaux’s teammates Drew Edmiston, Jonathan Vance and Lanier Coleman will also walk across the stage today. Edmiston earned his undergraduate degree in the summer and took graduate-level courses in the fall.

With a 3.901 grade-point average as of October, Desormeaux was named a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy, regarded as college football’s academic Heisman Trophy.

Desormeaux was unavailable to do media interviews during final exams for the fall semester from Dec. 8-12. Late on Dec. 7, UL (6-6) did not earn a bowl bid after finishing second in the Sun Belt with a 5-2 league record. The Independence Bowl in Shreveport picked Northern Illinois from the Mid-American Conference to play Louisiana Tech, while the Motor City Bowl in Detroit took Florida Atlantic, which tied for third in the Sun Belt, to face Central Michigan.

"I was very disappointed and still am, especially with the situation at the Independence Bowl," Desormeaux said. "They brought in a team from Northern Illinois instead of us, so that’s really been hard to understand. But if we had won a couple more games, we would have been in for sure.

"That’s something that our teams in the future will know and can definitely learn from."

On Dec. 8, Desormeaux underwent surgery on his left knee, which was injured midway through the season. He was thought to have a torn meniscus but ended up only having a partial torn posterior cruciate ligament.

"Ends up my meniscus wasn’t torn," Desormeaux said. "My PCL was healing, so they didn’t mess with it. They ended up washing my knee out to get some loose particles out of there. The doctors told me to take three or four weeks off, and my knee should get a lot better."

One day later, Desormeaux was one of eight UL players honored as the Sun Belt announced its all-conference teams and superlative awards. While Cajun running back Tyrell Fenroy was named the league’s player of the year, Desormeaux was honored as the conference’s offensive player of the year.

Fenroy and Desormeaux rushed for 1,000 yards apiece each of the past two seasons. Only one other quarterback-running back tandem in NCAA history – West Virginia’s Pat White and Steve Slaton in 2006 and ’07 – can make the same claim.

Despite playing most of the year with an injured knee, Desormeaux led the league in total offense (264.6 yards per game), was second in rushing (94.1 yards per game) and third in pass efficiency (135.01 rating). Desormeaux, who ran for 1,035 yards this season, became only the eighth NCAA quarterback to top that mark in back-to-back years.

His production and grittiness was rewarded with one of the Sun Belt’s top honors.

"You don’t get that honor without having great teammates," said Desormeaux, who finished third at UL in career rushing, fourth in career total offense and sixth in career passing. "They helped me get that award."

Now Desormeaux’s focus is on preparing for his shot in professional football. Earlier this week he signed with an agent, Latish Kinsler out of New Jersey. In another two weeks he’ll be cleared to begin running again. On Jan. 5, Desormeaux will begin an eight-week training program at TEST Sports Club in New Jersey – the same facility used last year by former UL safety LaMar Morgan and ex-Acadiana High and LSU standout Alley Broussard.

Although his position at the next level is unclear, Desormeaux said some scouts have projected him to play safety, slot receiver or running back. Just depends on who is talking. Desormeaux, currently 210 pounds, would like to gain another 10 pounds to his 6-foot-2 frame before attending any individual workouts for pro scouts.

His hope is to at least get into an NFL training camp in the spring. He also has another big day in April, when he’s set to marry longtime sweetheart Lindsey Sale.

Whenever his playing days are over, Desormeaux will return to Louisiana and do his student teaching. He plans to become a high school teacher and football coach in the Acadiana area.

"I’m going to pursue football as long as I can," Desormeaux said. "But whenever football ends, I will go back and get my teaching certificate and join the real world."

In an opinion likely shared by so many UL supporters, Desormeaux’s father, Bill Desormeaux, said his son is a tremendous role model for youngsters.

"He’s paid his dues and worked so hard to get where he is," the elder Desormeaux said in a recent interview. "I’m so proud of him."