MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / February 11, 2000

EDGARD – Donriel Louis is used to making history at West St. John.After all, it was Louis who leapt high to intercept Riverside’ Joey Poirrier inside the West St. John 10-yard, preserving the Rams’ 28-23 victory in the1998 Class 2A state championship game. And he was on the first St. JohnParish team to win a national championship .

Louis made history again last Wednesday, college football’s national signing day. When he signed his letter of intent with LSU, Louis became the firstWest St. John player to sign with the Tigers since Terry Robiskie in 1973.Louis, an all-State receiver for the Rams in 1998, verbally committed to LSU last summer. He remained with that commitment through the turmoil of a 3-8 season in 1999 and the coaching change from Gerry DiNardo to Nick Saban.

“I thought about other schools,” Louis said. “I went to check out Texas A &M, Southern Miss and Tulane. I really enjoyed the visits but LSU was justmade for me.

“I liked everything. The academic program was nice. The football program isin the rebuilding process but I think this year is going to be a winning season.

I liked the environment and everybody around me. They were nice and easy toget along with.”Louis said the change from DiNardo to Saban did not affect his decision. Infact, he said the change in staffs may actually be a plus for him.

“I really feel like the change in coaches helped me out,” Louis said. “Thecoaches they have now don’t know what the other boys got so they are going to go with whomever performs best. I’m just going to go give it all I’ve got.”Louis was also impressed with his first meeting with Saban.

“He’s cool,” Louis said. “He’s all business but that’s what I like. Instead ofjust football, he also went into the person. I enjoyed sitting down and talkingto him. I know he’s going to help me be a better player so I’ve just got to giveit all I’ve got.”Louis is projected to be a receiver in college. He said he plans to enroll duringthe summer to get used to the campus and to get a head start on the weight program.

“I’m just ready to fulfill my dreams and take care of my responsibilities,” Louis said.

Louis is one of the leading scorers on the West St. John basketball team andis a two-time all-district selection. He also won the Class 2A statechampionship in the high jumper last spring. But for the time being, he wantsto focus on football and his academics in his first year at college.

“I thought about it but I’m going to concentrate on one sport,” Louis said.

“I’ve got to put my grades first because a lot of people went to school and flunked out of school. I want to set an example so I want to concentrate onmy grades and one sport and that’s football.”Louis has some large footsteps to follow in being the first Ram on the Tiger team since Robiskie. Robiskie was the 1976 SEC MVP and currently stands asthe Tigers’ fifth all-time leading rusher with 2,517 yards. But Louis said hedoesn’t feel in any pressure in following the former star from Lucy.

“It wasn’t a shock because I put a lot of hard work into it,” Louis said of being recruited by LSU. “Growing up without a father and my mom and therest of my family, they kept me going in the right direction. I chose footballand basketball and to pursue my dream and that’s what I want to keep on doing. Make my mother proud.”

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