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Senior Spotlight: Defensive Lineman Donald Louis Jr.

Senior Spotlight: Defensive Lineman Donald Louis Jr.

Football Nov 23
By Paul Letlow, ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist

On any given Saturday at Malone Stadium, senior defensive lineman Donald Louis Jr. knows that he can look into the stands and see the people who mean the most to him.

"I can always catch my mom's eye or my dad's eye or maybe see my sister," Louis said. "I made a play against Memphis and I looked up in the crowd and blew a kiss to my mom, because it was a moment that we talked about before the game. It's pretty cool to be able to share moments like that.

"After I make a play, I can look up and see my family and know that they're the reason I'm able to do this." 

One of his first major choices was signing with ULM, the hometown university that recruited him from a successful Neville High School program. He took a leap of faith to stay home and has worked to leave the program in better shape than when he arrived while keeping close to his family.

"It's awesome because my family means everything to me," Louis said. "My family is my support system and my backbone. I love my mother and father and obviously all of my siblings. Even my church family as well. It's refreshing, even coming off a bad loss and being able to go to church on Sunday morning and see my family.

"You realize that even if you just lost a big football game, there are other things in life to look forward to and to take solace in. Things that the game can't necessarily give you."

And hey, home cooking is always just a few minutes away too.

"My mom cooks something, I get a call and I can go get something to eat," Louis said. "That's also been a blessing."

Louis spent the past four seasons as an impactful football player for ULM. He's also a student-athlete who can gaze into the future and see all sorts of fantastic possibilities.

"I have a lot of dreams," said Louis, who is one of eight graduates on the ULM football team this season. "It switches so much for me because of the things that God has put in my tool box."

Louis can see himself coaching football or teaching.

"I don't think there's anything more noble than crafting young minds," he said.

He'd like to start his own non-profit organization to benefit impoverished children.

"In Louisiana, we're at the bottom in education and at the top in poverty," Louis said. "Offer different programs that might be a creative outlet for kids. Something along those lines. I'm still kind of crafting that dream out."

Law school is another possibility for Louis as he plots his course.

"I've got a little bit of curating to do myself," he said. "But I feel like the sky is the limit." 

Defensive coordinator Mike Collins says there's no doubt Louis can tackle any goal he sets for himself.

"That's what I tell him all the time. Whether it be the Mayor of Monroe or the Governor of Louisiana, whatever it might be, you're going to have a real opportunity to do that," Collins said. "Just because, you have a great personality and your personality is reflected by your big smile and your ability to win people over. When you can do that, you can be successful."

Louis blends a serious, thoughtful side while also being a kid at heart. He can cut up in the locker room with the best of them, but he's also a deep thinker with a burning desire to get the job done.

"He can joke with them and laugh," Collins said. "He can do all those things. That's part of his ability to be able to get people to follow him.

At the same time, winning is as important to him as anything else, along with how you do it and how you go about your business to get it done."

Versatile enough to play defensive end and tackle, Louis leads the team in sacks and tackles for losses.

"My senior year has not quite been what I want it to be," he said. "I'm a big perfectionist. I'm not a numbers guy and I've never been numbers driven. But for my last year, there were a few personal marks I want to reach and I want to make sure I'm doing the best I can to reach those goals while staying within the scheme of what we do."   

From being part of a state powerhouse team in high school to a key cog in rebuilding a college program, Louis owns a unique perspective that he vows to carry forward with him.

"I've seen the differences and it's like life," Louis said. "Bam, bam, bam, you're part of a perennial contender and everybody is looking to knock you off. Then you go to being the person who's looking to knock everybody off, trying to climb to be the team everybody wants to knock off. It's definitely been a journey. Being able to look at it from both sides of the coin is definitely something that will benefit me later in life."
  
 
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