Everywhere there are Ducks. One of the most popular shows on cable television is “Duck Dynasty” on A&E, which chronicles the lives of Phil Robertson and his sons. As family patriarch Robertson is the inventor of the “Duck Commander” duck call. The show follows his backwoods brood in their adventures, an arresting blend of humor, surprisingly hot wives, hunting, life lessons and tall tales.
Former Duck commander: Bryan Bennett escapes pressure in the Southeastern spring game last March, in which he threw for 207 yards and a touchdown. (Ron Bergeron photo, southland.org)
The thing is, before Robertson was a cable star he was a quarterback at Louisiana Tech in Ruston, Louisiana, so good that he kept four-time Super Bowl winner Terry Bradshaw of Shreveport on the bench for two seasons.
In Hammond, Louisiana there is a former Duck, quarterback Bryan Bennett, trying to resurrect his career and follow Bradshaw into the NFL. Bennett enrolled at Southeastern Louisiana in time for spring practice, won the starting quarterback job, making such a powerful impression that the Lions have made him a TV star, taking Bennett to Southland Conference Media Day, and featuring him on their preseason commercial to sell tickets.
Head coach Ron Roberts told Scott Hotard of the Baton Rouge Advocate, “I can’t wait to show him off. I can’t wait until the fans see him.”
He won’t have to wait long. Southeastern opens their 2013 campaign at home Thursday night with a game against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks of the Missouri Valley Conference, a 5 p.m. Pacific kickoff in Strawberry Stadium. In week two they travel to Texas Christian University, a 9 a.m. Pacific kickoff on Fox Sports 1. In their final game of the year SLU hosts Nicholls, Oregon’s opponent this Saturday. Along the way, they’ll play three games that will be featured on ESPN3.
The Lions dropped football from 1986-2002, resurrected the sport in 2003, joined the Southland Conference of the Football Championship Subdivision in 2005. Last season they hired Robertson, who guided the team to a 5-6 record, 5-2 in league play, good for third place.
Roberts got serious this off season. On Signing Day he inked a 37-man recruiting class that included Bennett, eight offensive linemen, six defensive linemen, six defensive backs and four linebackers. Three of the players, including the former Duck qb, were transfers from FBS schools, immediately eligible at the FCS level. 17 were junior college transfers, 13 of them mid-year signees, which made possible the unusually large signing class.
The coach brought in three 300-pounders for his offensive line, two more for the defense. He told Rob Dearmond of The Advocate,
“If you want bigger people, you’ve got to recruit bigger people,” Roberts said. “There’s a bunch of these guys I’m looking at, I mean, I’m expecting a lot of these linemen to start. I really think they will. There’s going to be a lot of guys here that started here, they’re going to get beat out.” He added,
“All the D-linemen we signed are big, physical guys that are athletic. They can run. They’re not just gap players.”
Bennett got three new receivers who came in with him on NSD. Jervenski Johnson originally committed to Arkansas. Kendrick Peoples was the second-leading junior college receiver in California. Marquis Hayes of Copiah-Lincoln CC is a burner who can stretch the field.
Southeastern graduated starting quarterback Nathan Stanley last year, so they were counting on either Bennett or one of two other candidates to emerge in spring practice. In the Spring Game Bryan completed 12 of 21 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown, taking the team 75 yards in nine plays on the opening drive of the game.
At Media Day in July the Crespi High product told Hotard,
“You still have to compete, and I have to continue my play through (fall) camp,” Bennett said. “But I’m just ready for the season. I’m ready to get into the camp and get my guys better. It wouldn’t matter if I was first string, second string or third string. I just have to get better myself and try to get us better as a team.”
The Lions operate a spread offense, and the former Duck grew even more comfortable after a second summer at Manning Passing Academy and an off season working with his receivers. In the first scrimmage of fall camp he torched the defense for 9-11 passing, 255 yards and 3 tds, including a 83-yarder to Hayes.
Out of the shadow of Marcus Mariota, Bennett has the opportunity to showcase himself beginning with his junior season this fall. At the Manning Camp he impressed former NFL exec Phil Savage with his pro arm and mechanics. Head coach Roberts told lionsports.net,
“The biggest thing Bryan’s going to bring to the table is that he’s a dual threat,” Roberts said. “Bryan has played in some big-time games and has a great ability to run the football. He’s got a great arm and has played at the highest level of college football. We’re excited about what he’s going to bring, both athletically and leadership wise, to the football team.”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YDsz9us59nQ
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