Football: UL football team goes ‘Lafayette Strong’

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, August 6, 2015

The UL football team will pay respect to victims of last month’s The Grand 16 theater shooting in Lafayette by wearing a specially designed “Lafayette Strong” sticker on the back of its helmets during the upcoming 2015 season.

Eleven people were shot including two who died, 21-year-old Mayci Breaux and 33-year-old Jillian Johnson, before a lone gunman shot and killed himself during a July 23 screening of the movie “Trainwreck.”

A team spokesman said the square decals will feature an Acadiana flag design contained within an outline of the state of Louisiana, much like can be seen on yard signs now displayed around Lafayette.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this community, I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this community, because of the way this community has rallied in the last few weeks since the horrible tragedy,” Ragin’ Cajuns coach Mark Hudspeth said during the team’s annual Media Day on Wednesday.

“The community support and what I saw at Cajun Field, and now what I see driving home every day, with all the Lafayette Strong signs out in the community — it’s unbelievable.

“It just goes to show you what a great place we have to live in, in Acadiana and Lafayette,” Hudspeth added. “So I’m very proud to be a part of this community, and our team feels the same way.”

During recent seasons under Hudspeth the Cajuns have worn helmets stickers honoring late ex-UL and former Minnesota Vikings defensive back Orlando Thomas, UL student and murder victim Mickey Shunick and famed late UL-educated “Blue Dog” artist George Rodrigue.

The Cajuns open their season Sept. 5 at Kentucky.