Football: Q&A with Matt Desormeaux

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • October 30, 2010

Matt Desormeaux wanted a chance to play football again with his older brother, so he signed with UL after playing at Catholic High in New Iberia.

The former Class 3A state powerlifting champion is now the starting fullback this season for the Ragin’ Cajuns as a senior.

Desormeaux recently sat down to talk with The Daily Advertiser about his life as a student-athlete, both on and off the field.

Question: How did you end up at UL out of high school?

Answer: After my sophomore year when we lost to Parkview Baptist in the playoffs, I promised my brother Michael (Desormeaux) that wherever he went to college that I would follow him so we could play together again. I went into my senior year getting recruited a bit by UL and ULM and Arkansas and some other local teams. I committed once UL offered me because I knew this was where I wanted to go.

Q: Who is your role model or your role models?

A: Definitely my family. My biggest role model athletically and in life is my brother Mike. I felt that he was a great leader and a great example to follow. My dad (Bill Desormeaux, a former LSU tight end) got us into football as young as he could. We were playing in an 8-year-old league when we were 6. Another big role model was my mom. She taught me to have integrity and fight through everything because she’s had some tough times in her life. She taught me to never give up.

Q: You’ve already earned your undergraduate degree in mathematics. Why did you pick that particular major?

A: I started off in civil engineering, and I didn’t really like it that much. I enjoyed the math part of it, so I switched to math so I wouldn’t lose too many hours. Coming into college I knew I either wanted to be an engineer or a math teacher. I didn’t really like my engineering classes. I just went with my other plan.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: If there’s an opportunity to play football after college I’ll pursue it, but I’m trying to be realistic. This semester I started my master’s program for math, but I’m pretty sure that next summer I might finish my alt circ (alternate certification) program and just start teaching high school while I work on my master’s degree part time. Maybe later on I’ll try to move up.

Q: What do you hope that you’re remembered for after your football career is over?

A: I just hope that my teammates remember me as a good guy and for being more than just a football player. Football players come and go, but I’d like to be remembered for my character.