by Louis Bonnette
Jim Pousson was well aware of the start of each of the four football seasons he played at McNeese State.
Slated to be one of five inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame in three weeks, Pousson recently reminisced about the openers he participated in from 1975 to 1978 as the current Cowboy team makes ready to kickoff the school’s 65th season.
Pousson, who played defensive end as a freshman with the Cowboys and went on to become an all-conference defensive tackle, was 3-1 in his openers, just about the same percentage that McNeese has had in its previous 64 openers (40-22-2).
“There was always a lot of excitement about starting the season,” he said. “We had run the Cowboy mile, had gone through two-a-days, Cowboy Night and then one-a-day workouts and we were ready.
“I don’t think that there was as much nervousness as there was anxiety.”
His openers came against Louisiana Tech in1975, Southern Illinois in 1976, Indiana State in 1977 and Fresno State in 1978.
“I had come off a redshirt season and that first year I alternated with Frank Garcia, Darrell Hinton and Kyle Talbot at defensive end. The next year I started at tackle and stayed there the rest of my career,” he said.
The Cowboys lost to Louisiana Tech in the 1975 opener and in fact, dropped their first three games (losses also to Arkansas State and Eastern Michigan) but then won seven of their next eight games to finish 7-4.
“Back then we were all in the same conference and any time you lined up against Louisiana Tech you felt it was for the conference championship and usually it was,” he said.
Tech won that game and won the league title but the next year, McNeese beat Tech 15-13 in the second game of the year, won the SLC crown and went on to play in the very first Independence Bowl where the Cowboys beat Tulsa.
“It’s been 30 years ago but I do remember that we were always in great shape to open the season,” Pousson added. “Physically we were always ready to play.
“Back then you didn’t have the off season workout procedures that you have now. Most of the players had summer jobs also. But, there were some, myself and Bob Howell (another to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a few weeks) included and we worked out throughout the year, lifting weights, running, doing what was necessary to keep ourselves in shape.
“Our coaching staff back then prepared us as best as anyone could, both physically and mentally, and everything we did we did as a team. Some of us were married but once it came time for football, we did everything together.
“Coach Deb (Tucker Debetaz) with the line, Coach Boales (Hubert) with the linebackers and Coach Dup (Ernie Duplechin) who was the defensive coordinator always had us ready for that first game of the season.
“What I remember most about starting each season was that in those openers we were always ready to play.”
Pousson said that the Cowboys particularly held the conditioning edge over players from such teams as Southern Illinois and Indiana State.
“After about a quarter in this humidity, you could see them begin to wilt,” he added.
As for personal habits, superstitions or traits prior to an opener, Pousson had none.
“Oh, we might put a sock on the left foot first and then the right and then the left shoe on and then the right. And if worked out that we won the game or had a good night, we might carry it over to the next game. But, no, I never had any pre-game routines,” he said.
For the Lake Charles native who now lives in Lafayette, his career carried him to team defensive player of the year honors in 1976 and 1977 and to all-conference recognition for the same years.
In the fifth game of his senior season, he blew out his knee and his career was over.
“Up until that time I had never had as much as a split finger nail on the football field. Nothing at all, not even in high school,” he said.
The injury came in what would be a 35-10 victory over Nicholls State.
“Doc Murphy (Jim, athletic trainer) and Dr. Drez (David, team physician) did a great job because I was fully recovered when I graduated in May.”
He was in a foot to hip cast for six to eight weeks.
And, there’s a story attached to the injury.
Doc Murphy says the story is true.
Murphy said that as soon as he got to Pousson on the field after he had been injured, the player’s first words about the injury were, “How is the crowd taking it?”
Pousson said that he isn’t sure that is what he said but that if Doc Murphy said it was, then it probably was.
