Counselors say Thibodaux always a star at annual passing camp

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University of Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold is a Capistrano Beach native – a small ocean community between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Before learning about the Manning Passing Academy, Darnold said he didn’t even know that Thibodaux, Louisiana existed.


“You could have given me 10 guesses and I couldn’t have guessed it on the map,” Darnold said with a laugh. “I just didn’t know you guys were down here.”

But he knows all about our community now, calling it one of his new favorite players in the world.

A slew of other college quarterbacks agree – an annual sentiment each year at the Manning Passing Academy.


College quarterbacks from around the country ascend to Thibodaux each summer for the Manning Passing Academy – one of the largest football camps in the country.

The camp is always on the campus of Nicholls State University and according to New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, a big reason why that’s the case is because of how perfect Thibodaux is for an event like what the Manning’s offer.

“This area is special,” Eli Manning said. “There are a lot of really special people here. The support we receive is always unbelievable. There are always people willing to help or do whatever we need to be comfortable. I think it’s an amazing community. I think we always look forward to being here and coming back because of how special this area is.”


College campers agree.

Several of the college counselors were asked about Thibodaux during Friday’s media day and the city got literally a percent, 100 percent approval rating among those asked.

Perhaps even more impressive is that he reasons for approval varied among the quarterbacks who all listed several different factors which defined their stay.


Darnold said he immediately fell in love with the people in the Houma-Thibodaux area – calling them a special breed of folks who are always willing to walk the extra step to help someone out.

The Trojans quarterback said he didn’t want for anything during his entire trip in Louisiana, saying that he and the other counselors got treated like kings.

“The people here are amazing. They’re special. I mean that,” Darnold said. “Everyone is always offering to do something to make sure that you feel welcome. Nothing is forgotten. They think of everything – even the little things to make sure that you’re at home while here – even if you’re not actually at home.”


South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley agreed.

A native of Opelika, Alabama, Bentley said he’s used to Southern hospitality because he’s been raised with that lifestyle around him.

But Bentley added that he’s been at several football-related events and very few host cities have been able to add up to Thibodaux.


“The support is awesome,” Bentley said. “You can tell that the people here really take a lot of pride in making sure that things go smoothly and run well. I know that people love their football here and it’s fun because you’ll hear some people give you a friendly jab or two because a couple of the guys play for rival SEC schools or whatever. But it’s all in good fun and it really shows how much the people here love the sport by how they come together to make this all work.”

Then, of course, there’s the food.

For a lot of quarterbacks, this is their first trip in Louisiana, which may be a first go-round with gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish or any of the other wonderful dishes which are in abundance throughout Southeast Louisiana.


For Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee, the food is a big attraction.

Louisville Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Lamar Jackson agreed and said the Louisiana-made dishes are tough to beat.

“I may not know what some of it is, but I’ve learned to not ask any questions,” Jackson said with a laugh. “It all tastes good, so that’s really what matters at the end, right?”


“The food is incredible,” Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook added. “It’s different from other places, obviously, but we’ll all miss it when we have to go back to our colleges.”

But perhaps bigger than the community and the food are the facilities at Nicholls which are constantly evolving to help meet the needs of the camp, which pumps loads of cash into the local economy each year.

Archie Manning applauded the commitment Nicholls has made in recent years to boost its facilities – namely an increase in drainage, which has allowed for more usable grass for campers to run on throughout the week.


Those upgrades, combined with a continued commitment to keep evolving, Archie said, are why the family continues to come back to Thibodaux – year after year.

“It’s a great place to do this,” Archie Manning said. “Everything fits. They provide what we need and I think it’s easy to see with the support we receive, the people here enjoy having us, as well.”

Manning Passing AcademyMISTY McELROY | NICHOLLS


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