![]() ![]() In 1994, Southwestern was again co-champs of the Big West Conference with a 6-5 record and then went 6-5 again in 1995.Įven though the program had modest wins, Delhomme was in his element as a passer.īeginning in 1995, one of his favorite targets was Brandon Stokley, who was the son of head coach Nelson Stokley (and who would eventually play in the NFL). What you see is what you get with Jake.”Īs the only true freshman to start at quarterback at the Division I level that year, Delhomme took Southwestern to an 8-3 record and a co-championship of the Big West Conference.įor the next three years, Delhomme continued to lead the Cajuns and started 43 consecutive games. “He was grounded, mature, highly motivated and extremely competitive. “That’s why, as an 18-year-old, Jake was able to step in and lead us from 2-9 the previous year to 8-3,” Cook said. He passed for over 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns and it was evident to his offensive coordinator, Lewis Cook, that Delhomme was ready for the big stage. Southwestern Louisiana still lost the contest, but Delhomme remained the starter for the rest of the season.įormer NFC Champion & Ragin' Cajun QB Jake Delhomme joines the show now. He was going to get a chance, and he just wanted to play.”ĭelhomme didn’t have to wait long to make his mark with the Ragin’ Cajuns.īy halftime of the first game of the 1993 season against Utah State, the Cajuns were losing and Delhomme was named the starter for the second half. “Whether someone was going to be paying for it initially or he was going to walk on or whatever. “He knew he was going to play college football and he knew he was going to get an opportunity and that’s all Jake ever wanted,” Charpentier said. Where others may have been discouraged by the lack of interest, Delhomme only sought to prove his doubters wrong. With limited options, Delhomme accepted an offer from his mother’s alma mater at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now known as the University of Louisiana-Lafayette). “I wanted to go to Tulane but I realized then that I wasn’t their guy,” Delhomme said in 2015. He did have some interest from local programs such as Tulane, but the Green Waves coach told Delhomme he was one of three quarterback recruits. There were also the performances of Evangel Christian (Shreveport) quarterback Josh Booty and Peyton Manning at Isidore Newman in New Orleans.īoth signal callers were the face of Louisiana prep quarterback play, which meant Delhomme was overlooked. The main issue, unfortunately, was that Delhomme didn’t have the prototypical quarterback size (he was 6’1 at the time). It would only make sense that college programs would aggressively recruit someone who produced such lofty stats. Delhomme was a 4 Year starter for the Rebels. Including his numbers as a runner, Delhomme had 7,423 total offensive yards and 81 scores.ġ989-1992 LA played Teurlings Catholic. However, the output wasn’t enough to bring Delhomme any accolades for his offensive play, although he was selected as an all-state athlete for his work in the secondary.īy the time his prep career wrapped up, Delhomme had passed for a total of 6,703 yards and 65 touchdowns. His numbers led the Rebels to a semifinal appearance in the state playoffs. He wanted to do whatever it took to win.”ĭuring his senior year, Delhomme passed for 3,351 yards and 32 touchdowns and added 265 rushing yards and eight more scores. “Everything he did, he wanted to be the best at it and he stuck out like a sore thumb. He was highly competitive,” Charpentier said. He was a vocal leader and he led by example, too. “When I first got here, you could tell he was just a natural leader. He became a leader who drove his team toward success whether he was on the gridiron or starring for the Rebels on the basketball court. He looked at me, seriously, and said ‘I can play both,'” Sonny Charpentier (Delhomme’s middle school coach) said with a chuckle.Īs a student-athlete at Teurlings Catholic High School, Delhomme continued to play quarterback and also played in the defensive secondary. I told Jake that I needed him to play quarterback. “Jake came to the sideline and told me he could play running back.
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