Inside The Birdcage - Do You Feel A Draft?
If there was ever a year for Ragin' Cajun fans to watch the NFL Draft unfold, it was this year
Jay Walker, Special to RaginCajuns.com
Every weekend, I look at the baseball schedule to see where I was supposed to be and who the Ragin' Cajuns would be facing.
This past weekend it was South Alabama. And, I was looking forward to it. Because of quirks in the schedule, the last time the Cajuns played in Mobile, the refurbishing of M. L. “Tigue” Moore Field had not begun. The Cajuns hosted a regional. And, unless something changes, it will now be 2022 before Louisiana heads to Eddie Stanky Field.
Besides, beating the Jaguars is lots of fun.
Because of my duties as the play-by-play broadcaster for Louisiana Baseball, the NFL Draft is something I haven’t watched much. Oh, I see the first round on Thursday, but I’m at the ballpark on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. I have to follow on my computer to see if any Cajuns are drafted or who the Saints have selected.
Obviously, this year was different. And if there was ever a year for Ragin' Cajuns fans to watch the NFL Draft unfold, it was this year.
While I figured no Cajun would have his name called on Thursday, it was still fun to watch as the draft unfolded, especially without the pomp and circumstance of most drafts.
But when I settled in on Friday, I was ready to hear the first Ragin' Cajun name called.
And, it didn’t take long.
Robert Hunt’s selection at No. 39 wasn’t a shock. Most mock drafts had him going later in the second round, but Miami obviously liked what they saw. After having interviewed him on a couple occasions and knowing the extreme poverty in which he grew up, I got caught up in my feelings for a couple of minutes. And, I’m so proud of the fact he has become the first in his family, ever, to graduate college. What an incredible story. And he’ll have a chance to be a starter with the Dolphins.
Now, I’m a guy who wants to see players in our league succeed, so I watched the rest of Round Two and stuck around for Round Three. Appalachian State’s Darrynton Evans went int the third round. I thought we might see another Sun Belt Conference player, but I had to wait until Saturday, when another App State player, Akeem Davis-Gaither, went with the first pick in the fourth round.
Then it was Kevin Dotson’s turn.
The Associated Press First Team All-American was projected to go in the fourth round, and Pittsburgh called his name. He's a second generation Cajun, as his dad, Kelcy, played for Nelson Stokley. And, as it turns out, the Dotson family are lifelong Steelers fans. That couldn’t have worked out any better. Kevin was the first player taken that wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine (we’re still trying to figure out why that didn’t happen). Kevin might be the strongest human being I’ve ever met. He’ll fit in well with Pittsburgh, and I’ll be surprised if he isn’t on the 53-man roster.
Several people had asked me if I thought another player from the Billy Naper's roster might get drafted. My response was if it happened, it would probably be Raymond Calais. The Cecilia High School alum blossomed in his final two years of college, becoming a valued running back in addition to excelling as a kick returner.
Two Georgia Southern players, defensive back Kindle Vildor and kicker Tyler Bass, were both selected in the fifth and sixth rounds, and that left those of us watching at home to the seventh.
I paid as close attention to the seventh round as I did the first. I wanted to see Calais’ name, which would give the Ragin' Cajuns three draftees, tying a school record set in 1989.
Boom!
Tampa Bay came through.
If you’re going to make an NFL roster and you aren’t a high draft pick, you had better be able to make an impact on special teams, and Calais certainly fits that bill, having been on special teams his entire career. He has a good chance to stick, in my opinion.
Most draft picks come from P5 programs and those schools get tons of publicity. But when you’re a G5 program and your name comes up three times, and the analysts have really good things to say about your draft picks and celebrations are shown on the screen, it’s a very big deal. The Ragin' Cajuns got publicity that you just can’t buy. Seeing LOUISIANA come up on the screen should make all Cajuns supporters feel great.
Once the draft was finished, I felt as good as I’ve felt about sports in over a month.
Heck, in this particular weekend, it was better than beating South Alabama in baseball.
And, that’s saying something.
