He’s proud when he sees former Northside High performers, like Keiland Williams, playing well in high-profile programs.

But while the program is certainly in one of its heydays under DeRouen, he still has a special place in his heart for a team he played on 23 years ago.

"I know some people now are going to say, ‘No, no’, but that (1984) team still has to be the most talented and dominating team Northside ever had,” said Broussard, who was a sophomore reserve on the 1984 team that beat Lutcher 74-21 in the quarterfinals before falling to Washington-Marion in the state semifinals.

"We had beaten St. Martinville earlier that season and then lost to Washington-Marion. If we would have played St. Martinville again in the finals, people would still be talking about that matchup.”

Broussard played a little in that game as a reserve with so many stars in front of him, before becoming the primary threat the next two years. The Vikings didn’t make any semifinal trips those two seasons, but Broussard’s career was enough to earn a scholarship offer from the Ragin’ Cajuns.

"I wanted to go to a place that was on the move where I could make an impact,” said Broussard, who enjoyed three winning seasons and a 5-6 year at UL.

"I still talk to some of those guys, like my roomate Robert Arvie. I talked to Van Ray (Alexander) a few weeks ago and Dwayne Fontenette.”

These days, Broussard is living in Houston with his wife, Cheryl, and stepson, Delante, and working as a district manager for Frito-Lay. He makes a point of attending as many Northside games as possible.

He, of course, came back when Northside played for the state title in 1994 and was in town several weeks ago for his 20-year reunion.

"That was a lot of fun,” Broussard said. "I saw some people that I haven’t seen in 20 years, people who I grew up with. And the team played a great game.

"Vince is doing a great job with the program. He was a junior when I was a senior. He always had that determination and dedication to the game. He never liked to lose.”