LAKE CHARLES - A rendering of football photographs from McNeese football teams in the 1960s was presented to the local Darrell's Restaurant recently by members of the squads.

Nine players from the teams as well as two coaches were on hand for the presentation which was accepted by restaurant manager Tyler Benoit, grandson of the late Darrell DeRouen who not only started up the restaurant but was also a Cowboy football player in the '60s.
           
The picture memories from that era will have a permanent home at the restaurant.  The rendering was constructed by Tony Ber, also a former player.
           
Besides Ber other former Cowboys of the 1960s on hand were Billy Dore, Gerald Conner, Bobby LaLande, Greg Dowies, Dennis Trahan, Robert Young, Herman Menard and Mike Jones.
           
Coaches who attended were Ernie Duplechin and Hubert Boales, both later to become the university's head football coach.
           
The '60s were an early "golden era" for Cowboy football. 
           
From 1960 through 1966 the Cowboys produced a 44-19-1 won-lost record, won four Gulf States Conference championships, competed in one bowl game and produced the first of only two undefeated, untied regular season records in university history.
           
In 1962 the Cowboys defeated Howard College 21-14 in the Golden Isle Bowl, Howard having been coached that year by Bobby Bowden.
           
In 1963 the Cowboys went 8-0, outscoring opponents 222-52.
           
Les DeVall, who served as head coach for six of the 10 years, earned two GSC coach of the year honors and Jim Clark, who was head coach for four of the years, claimed the other.
           
Teams of the '60s produced 49 first team all-GSC members and 11 league statistical leaders.
           
Six Cowboys also earned all-American honors and five went on to play professionally either in the NFL or the AFL.
           
At the start of the 1960s, the Cowboys were playing their home games at Lake Charles Wildcat Stadium.  In 1965 they debuted Cowboy Stadium on campus.  This stadium, now dubbed "The Hole" is one of the top 10 fan drawing stadiums in the Football Championship Division and yearly leads the Southland Conference in attendance.
           
Also taking part in the recent presentation was McNeese president Dr. Daryl Burckel, athletic director Bruce Hemphill, former sports information director Louis Bonnette, alumni director Joyce Patterson and Quarterback Club president Dwayne Bruette.