Morgan City man charged with stealing vehicle driven in fatal crash
October 6, 2009
James "Jim" Templet
October 8, 2009
A South Terrebonne High School football player has been recommended for an award given to those who demonstrate exemplary and inspirational values.
Kurt LeBlanc, 16, was nominated by Gators head football coach Richard Curlin for the first-ever High School Football Rudy Awards.
The honor is named for Daniel Ruettiger, the subject of the 1993 biographical film “Rudy.”
According to the High School Rudy Awards Web site, the award will not be won by the most talented players with the best stats, but rather by the players with the biggest hearts.
“We are searching for high school football players who demonstrate what Rudy calls ‘The Four C’s’: Character, Courage, Contribution and Commitment,” the site said.
In September 2008, LeBlanc suffered two strokes in as many weeks. The second triggered a seizure, which has left him unable to speak or walk on his own and with limited use of his right arm.
Since then, LeBlanc has been able to take two steps at a time and can occasionally spurt words without thinking about it.
“I nominated him because of the way the kid has handled the situation he has been in,” Curlin said. “He was going to be a heck of a player for us. I know it’s been a real struggle what he has gone through since last year. He’s a great kid and comes from a great family.”
The coach found out about the Rudy Award through an email sent to him.
Because LeBlanc is under 18, his parents had to give award sponsor Trusted Sports permission for him to be nominated, which they did.
“(Kurt) was very excited. He immediately put it on his Web site (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kurtleblanc),” said his mother Lisa LeBlanc. “It’s just very nice of Coach Curlin to do.”
Despite his predicament, Gators coaches and players make sure Kurt remains an integral part of the team.
“They have never stopped looking out for Kurt,” LeBlanc noted. “He still eats the team meal with them every Friday. The guys take him in the back and play pedro while they wait to go out on the field. He stays on the sidelines for the entire game with them. They are still keeping him a part of the team, which I know he appreciates.”
Although Ruettiger is involved in the process, the High School Football Rudy Award is different from the College Football Rudy Award, which has been bestowed under the Rudy Foundation since 2007.
Coaches can nominate players until Nov. 30. Twenty semifinalists will be announced on Dec. 10. Three finalists will be selected on Feb. 1, 2010,
The winner will receive a $10,000 academic scholarship and the High School Football Rudy Award presented by Ruettiger at a ceremony tentatively scheduled for March 6, 2010.
The two runners-up will each receive a $5,000 academic scholarship and runners-up awards.
The selection committee is composed of former New Orleans Saints head coach Jim Mora Sr., NBC Sunday Night Football reporter Andrea Kramer, former Pro-Bowl NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe, the fifth winningest active high school football coach Mike Smith, Maxpreps.com CEO Andy Beal and fan voting through the Web site http://www.highschoolrudyawards.com.
Kurt LeBlanc (13) briefly stands to watch his South Terrebonne Gators secure the win over Thibodaux Friday night with his dad Charles close by. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF
