Every time I pass the Ouachita Parish sign a little bit of childhood re-enters my soul.
For three years I have taken the same route from Baton Rouge to West Monroe, and two weekends ago I could have driven with my eyes closed.
Nothing is more refreshing than pulling into the house you grew up in and running into your mom’s arms. As I held on tight not wanting to let go, I couldn’t help but wonder why I spent all of high school counting down the days until I reached college.
I was in such a rush to grow up and get on my own — no curfews, no chores, no parents. What was I thinking?
College grew on me and after finally sorting myself out, I wish I had four more years. My brother complains because he received a red-shirt in baseball this year. I wish I could receive a red-shirt as a student and stick around a little longer.
I’ve gotten to the point where I like being on my own — that means single as well. Then I go home to West Monroe and hear that half of my graduating class is either married, pregnant or both — some not in that order. My roommate Gina and I have never felt more behind in our lives.
Then my grandma, the wisest woman I know, asked, “What are you worrying for? Don’t be in a hurry. You got the rest of your life to be married.”
This revelation came at just the right time for myself as well as for my own perspective toward sports.
The NFL draft was last weekend. Several players who sold their college careers short to enter the draft got selected. The No. 1 overall pick was a junior from Utah State, Alex Smith. Even Maurice Clarett, who made the mistake of leaving Ohio State early, got drafted in the first day — last, but not least.
College is the best four, sometimes five, years of your life. Regardless of being an athlete or a student, college is the one last hoorah before being — dare I say it — a grown-up. Responsibility, 9-to-5 work days, taxes … ew! Who would want to leave this experience early?
As I expressed my disapproval of underclassmen entering the draft early, I realized I am in the minority on my thoughts. Most people’s immediate reaction is take the money and run as my friend Meg says. We share many passions for the game, but early draft talk is a different story.
At a risk of sounding cliche, money really can’t buy you happiness. Maybe that is why this football season LSU will be welcoming back fifth year seniors Andrew Whitworth and Rudy Niswanger. Or why before his tragic death, LSU baseball player Wally Pontiff Jr. elected to turn down his offer to the big leagues to spend one more season at Alex Box Stadium.
LSU has the same effect on students. My senior roommate Holly cried at the last football pre-game last year because it was her last. Who would want to leave this place ever — much less, early?
Three LSU seniors spent as much time at LSU as allowed before entering the draft. Marcus Spears was the first of the three to go in the draft to the Dallas Cowboys. Spears was followed by Corey Webster, who went to the New York Giants in the second round, their first pick of the draft. The Giants gave up their first round pick this year because of their infamous swiping of Eli Manning from the Chargers — the Giants love them SEC boys. After being apart from Nick Saban for several months, Travis Daniels was reunited when he was selected by the Miami Dolphins as the 104th overall pick in the fourth round.
Maybe it is just something LSU offers to make players want to stay their full time because numerous outsiders cannot agree with me when it comes to the draft. That is why I spent my time in north Louisiana touring different campuses. The University of Louisiana-Monroe has one table for baseball tailgating, and the biggest landmark on campus is not the stadium — it’s the library.
Louisiana Tech has a fan base that seems to only consist of players’ parents. The most excited they got was not over their fight song but Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman.” Why was it that I missed home so much?
When put into comparison, LSU offers it all. We have the fans, the players and the institution. Who would want to leave early? After all, you have the rest of your life to be pro.