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August 11, 2015
A last-minute change of plans has landed Thibodaux High School graduate Peyton Bonvillain in a small college-town in Alabama.
The sport he’s playing will be different, too. Instead of football, he’ll now be chasing a career in college baseball.
Bonvillain announced this week that he’d signed a college scholarship with Alabama Southern Community College – a small school that competes in the highly competitive Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC).
The move is a total 180 for Bonvillain, who signed a football scholarship with Nicholls this past spring on National Signing Day.
Bonvillain said he’s grateful to the Colonels for the opportunity, but added that the school “really didn’t fit” the things he was trying to do, though he chose not to elaborate any further on what caused his change of plans.
The local athlete said he’s excited about the opportunity to chase what he called a lifelong dream – the chance to be a collegiate baseball player. Bonvillain was an All-District shortstop for Thibodaux.
Bonvillain said he plans to attend Alabama Southern Community College for two years, then he’ll transfer to a Division-I university to finish his career.
“I am very excited about signing with Alabama Southern,” Bonvillain said. “They have a great baseball program to get you ready for a four-year university. They also have great academics, and it’s a very small town just like Thibodaux. I think it will fit me very well.”
But while Bonvillain prepares for life as a full-time baseball player, he admits that hanging up the shoulder pads and helmet will not be easy.
Bonvillain was a dominant quarterback for Thibodaux this past season – one of the best runners and passers in the Houma-Thibodaux area.
The Tigers were 9-1 in the 2014 regular season under Bonvillain’s watch. He also helped Thibodaux win its first playoff game under coach Chris Dugas.
“Peyton Bonvillain is everything you ask for in a high school athlete,” Dugas said. “He does things right, he’s a great leader, and he’s a really good kid. We’re definitely going to miss him. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.”
Despite the success, Bonvillain wasn’t recruited too heavily, because scouts didn’t think he was a good enough passer to succeed at the next level.
He signed with Nicholls and head football coach Tim Rebowe, who said that he thought Bonvillain could contribute to the team’s turnaround.
But Bonvillain said as school got closer to starting, he started to wonder if maybe baseball wasn’t a better option for him to play right away.
It wasn’t without an inner struggle. Bonvillain said that the decision was the hardest he’s ever made in his life.
“It will be hard sitting at home watching football on Friday night, of course,” he said. “But it feels better for me that I still am able to play college baseball. But trust me, it will be hard not being able to strap up one more time as a Thibodaux Tiger. That’s the hardest thing for me.”
Bonvillain said he actually found his new school with Nicholls’ help. The standout athlete said he was willing to walk-on to the Nicholls baseball team, but they didn’t have a roster spot available for a new player.
But Colonels coach Seth Thibodeaux thought enough of Bonvillain to contact the Alabama Southern Community College coaches to arrange a tryout.
“Everything worked out after that,” Bonvillain said. “I worked out for them and made the team.”
Bonvillain said if he performs well in community college, he’d be willing to return home and play baseball for the Colonels if they offered him a scholarship.
“I’d definitely consider that,” Bonvillain said. “I think they have a very good program.”
Bonvillain said he reports to his new school on August 17, and he’s been told that he’ll be an infielder for the Eagles, who finished this past season with a 23-28 record.
That’s quite a change from being a quarterback, but Bonvillain said baseball is where his heart his, and he has no regrets about his decision to chase the sport in the future.
“I have the dream to play baseball just as much as football, so I’m still chasing my dream, even though it’s not through football,” Bonvillain said.
