MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / February 9, 2000

ST. JAMES – St. James quarterback Corey Webster is changing his stripes.The Wildcat star will be a Tiger next season after signing with LSU Monday afternoon in the St. James library. Webster becomes the first St. Jamesplayer to sign with LSU since Rydell Melancon in 1980.

Webster’s decision came down to LSU and Southern Mississippi. It was aclose race with both schools looking at him at wide receiver and both allowing him to play basketball.

“It was pretty close,” Webster said. “They (LSU) will allow me to play bothfootball and basketball early. They do have both a good football andbasketball program and I can get on the basketball court early. That’s thesituation they are in and that’s why I chose LSU.” Webster sat down with his parents to look at both schools. Webster said itcame down to being able to get on the field and on the court earlier with LSU.

“I think it’s a good decision,” MacArthur Webster, Corey’s father, said. “It’sCorey’s decision and that’s why I thought it was good. What we did for Coreywas lay everything down on the table for him, put it in writing, let him look at it. He looked at each team’s depth chart at the wide receiver position and wejust put the information in front of him and allowed him the opportunity to make the best decision he could make.”Webster led the Wildcats to the Class 3A quarterfinals in 1999, completing 74-of-146 passes for 1,454 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also ran 60 timesfor 201 yards and three scores and handled the team’s punting duties. Hewas named all-District 9-3A, all-River Parishes and all-State.

Webster is also the starting point guard for the Wildcat basketball team and leads the team in scoring. He is coming off a career-high 41-point effortagainst Donaldsonville Friday night.

“It’s going to be hard,” Webster said of playing both sports in college.” “Iknow that but I want to try it. You can do anything if you put your mind to itand that’s what I’m going to do.”LSU has Webster projected at point guard. The Tigers are currently 17-4overall and in second place in the SEC West.

“They are doing good now and hopefully I can them out and do better next year,” Webster said.

St. James head football coach Rick Gaille, who had Webster at startingquarterback for the last three years, believes he will be able to help LSU in both sports.

“Corey has certainly proved he’s worth it,” Gaille said. “He’s some athletewho is going to be valuable to the LSU program in both football and basketball. He’s going to help them in both sports. I think that was one of theultimate decision makers where at LSU he is going to able to help them win SEC championships in both football and basketball and ultimately national championships. I think he ultimately felt that high level of competition in bothsports was the type of challenge he wanted to pursue.”

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