Bernard Smith’s car wasn’t working right, and needed some work.

The Ragin’ Cajuns defensive end’s parents were going to travel from their home in Atlanta to one of UL’s regular-season games earlier this year — they didn’t miss any of seven on the road, driving to some, flying to others — and someone had an idea.

"They asked me, ‘Don’t you wish you could get your car fixed?’ " Smith recalled. " ‘Just tell your parents, ‘Don’t come to the game. … Just have them give you that money.’

"I was like, ‘Nah, it means more to me to see them at the game.’ "» I would rather them spend money on coming to see me than to be sending money to me to go get my car fixed. That means the world to me."

It’s a common theme for UL players and their parents who travel to away games, making Saturday night’s New Orleans Bowl appearance a fitting reward for Cajun-family road warriors.

And there are plenty of them, some there all the time, some popping in when they can, others scrimping and saving just so they can make it to one.

An Andre Huval parent here, a Jake Molbert or Kyle Plouher parent there, an Andrew Hebert relative seemingly everywhere.

Running back Alonzo Harris’ mom paces, linebacker Lance Kelley’s mom hugs.

Ladarius Green’s stepfather, Cooper Gerami’s mother, Brad McGuire’s folks — there’s no telling whom one might run into at a UL-opponent stadium or Cajun-road hotel lobby.

Some of their kids play plenty, others not much at all. Yet there they are, often in force, making the postseason payoff that much more meaningful.

"To get a chance to have this last one at home in Louisiana — it’s great, because we’ve got fans," starting quarterback Blaine Gautier said. "We’ve got some great fans.

"We’ve got fans who have traveled all over the States to come watch us play, and to actually have this game in New Orleans — it’s a blessing."

• • •

Gautier’s father, David, drove this season to Oklahoma State, Middle Tennessee State and Arkansas State.

Two losses, one victory, all worth every second spent and every dime invested.

"It definitely means a lot to all of the kids, to see the parents in the stands," David Gautier said.

"For Blaine," he added, "I’ve been doing that since he’s been playing recreation ball — and it’s amazing how he’s always been able to find me in the stands, no matter how many people are there."

Gautier does shift work as a process technician at DuPont chemical, on one weekend and off another, so it’s not always easy to get away.

But somehow he does.

"It’s kind of challenging at times," Gautier said. "But I’ve had real great support from the people at my job."

For one game, Gautier went with a couple sisters and their husbands, and another sister and her children.

For another, a van was rented and a brother, his wife and two of their kids joined in.

"It means the world," David Gautier said.

"When Blaine first started being recruited (out of Louisiana’s Lutcher High) I was kind of stuck on the fact I wanted him to go out of state," he added. "But I didn’t know how important it was for him to be playing close."

And now he does.

• • •

With a son who didn’t go far at all, staying in Lafayette after finishing at St. Thomas More High, Sheri Kelley knows too.

She’s made it to six of UL’s seven road games this season, and of course will be there in New Orleans.

"There’s really no feeling like it," Kelley said. "My heart is with Lance on the field every move he makes — and all of his friends and all of his teammates."

But she’s not alone.

Tailback Harris’ mother is a constant too.

"She goes back in the forth in the stands when he’s playing, like she’s following him on the field," Sheri Kelley said. "It’s precious."

Such devotion, however, comes with a small cost.

"(Harris) and Lance get picked on a lot," Kelley said, "because supposedly they’re the two ‘Momma’s boys.’ "

It’s a price UL’s top tackler is more than willing to pay.

"I take it in stride. I always have," Lance Kelley said. "I know everything she does is with good in mind. I’m lucky to have her.

"She’s almost kind-of like my sister. Really, she’s like a best friend of mine. She’s always there for me, and I just expect her. I don’t take her for granted, by any means. But I expect her to be there every time, and she always is."

Through the many good times, like when Kelley had a fumble recovery, an interception and eight tackles in a homecoming win over North Texas.

And through the bad, like when Sheri Kelley was there to console her son as he emerged from the vistor’s lockerroom at Western Kentucky after letting a would-be INT slip through his hands in a critical loss to the Hilltoppers.

"I’ve always thought it was more important for me to be there during the down times than anything," Sheri Kelley said. "But it’s important all the time."

"It’s more about the tough times, to be honest," Lance Kelley added. "I mean, it’s a good feeling when she’s there when it’s good times, because I’m in a better mood. But through tough times, it’s way better."

And much-more needed.

"When I lose, I’m, like, the world has caved in," Lance Kelley said. "I don’t want to talk to anybody. And she understands that. I mean, I’ll talk to her — and that’s about it."

Her words typically are short and to-the-point.

"It’s usually just, ‘I love you,’" he said. "She tries to tell me I did good, and just to shake it off: ‘We’ve got another game ahead of us.’ "

• • •

Or they always did.

Saturday, however, will be the last in college for Cajun seniors like Kelley.

And going everywhere from the states of Oklahoma, Ohio and Florida to Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Arizona this season, that’s why so many are so thrilled the bowl trip to New Orleans will be so short.

"It’s so exciting, especially because it’s close," Sheri Kelley said.

"This is wonderful," David Gautier added. "When the (bowl) projections started coming out "» I said from the beginning that no bowl would be more perfect."

The trip is just short enough that not only Blaine Gautier’s mother Deidre Bethancourt Gautier can go, but also his grandmother, David’s mother, 84-year-old Audrey Gautier.

It’s also close enough that the drive down from Atlanta won’t be ridiculously long for Constance and Andre Nealey — Bernard Smith’s parents.

"I am so, so excited, words can’t even express," Constance Nealey said.

Making it to nearly all of Smith’s games during his senior season — they only missed one at home, due to a death in the family — hasn’t been easy.

Both parents are self-employed, Constance as a hairdresser, Andre an audio-visual technologist.

And in the hair business, Saturdays can mean big bucks.

"My Mom’s sacrificed for me," Bernard Smith said. "Even though that’s her money-day — the weekend — she gives that up to come and see me play."

Even when finances suggested otherwise, Nealey said, "we just took a leap of faith" and pulled off what had seemed like the "unobtainable."

Sometimes, they’d fly using an airline employee-relative’s free-ticket buddy passes.

Sometimes, like the Arizona game on Thanksgiving weekend, they purchased the tickets just to be certain they did not miss out.

Still other times, they’d hop into a SUV and take along passengers — including Smith’s younger brother and Smith ‘s 4-year-old daughter Jayden. Smith has a baby boy, Noah, who’s just a few months old, and even he made it to a home game in Lafayette.

And every time they hit the road, Constance Nealey was so glad everyone did.

"Just seeing us really motivated him to do even more," she said. "It gave him a bigger push. I know he was happy he saw our faces."

No new shoes this year.

No new dresses.

Even getting a bit behind on the bills.

No matter what it took, Constance Nealey said, she was determined to see her son play.

And that why knowing how happy Bernard Smith was that she could — how he’d rather have family in the stands than money to repair his ride — really does mean, to her, the world.

"To hear him say that?" she said. "Wow.’