VC's Emile Trahan hopes to repeat last year's performance

You had a good year offensively for VC as a sophomore last year. Looking back, are you surprised by how much you contributed?

Yes I am surprised at how much I contributed to the team this past season. Going into week one I wasn’t even a starter. At the time I was a slot receiver rotating throughout the game until one of our outside receivers suffered a broken arm then I was permanently moved to outside receiver. Then I had a successful season offensively as a sophomore.
Can you name one catch or one play that you remember the most from last year? What game and why it stands out so much?

One catch that stands out to me for some reason is one of my touchdown catches against Central Catholic in the first round of the playoffs. It was the first game we played after Father T passed away. It was a long pass and I was a step in the end zone on the run, then I went up to catch the ball and a 6-foot defender tipped the ball and tripped me in the same motion, as I was falling it seemed like the ball just stopped and just floated a few inches off of the ground and as I was falling I snatched the ball barely off the ground for the touchdown. As soon as I hit the ground father T instantly popped into my head.
At first nobody even knew I even caught the ball, and then I jogged over to the sidelines and in all the excitement the first thing I said was “Father T held that ball up for me because there is no way that ball should have been caught!” So that one catch sticks out the most to me. Sure some people might say well what about your touchdown catch and the punt return in the dome, but honestly those were two of my easiest touchdowns in the season. Anybody could have ran that punt return back when everybody does a great job of blocking, all I had to do was run towards the end zone. Same thing with my touchdown catch, BG threw the ball perfectly where it needed to be.

You also became VC’s PAT kicker. How did that happen?

Well, it was Wednesday evening at practice of week one when coach asked if we had anybody that can kick because the kicking position wasn’t set in stone yet and we had a game in two days. I yelled from the sidelines “Coach, I can kick.” Coach just kind of laughed then said, “Alright, let me see what you got.” Keep in mind it was the very end of practice with everybody watching me, and for every kick I missed everybody had to run. So being the nervous little sophomore I was, I shanked my first kick. Everybody now discouraged they had to run I asked for a re-kick since it was my first time. Then I went on to kick five in a row with my final kick at 43 yards. Then ever since I became the field goal kicker and went on to kick in the game two days later.

What is the hardest part about kicking extra points? Everyone in the stands thinks it’s automatic. Is it?

The hardest part about kicking is being able to focus after a big touchdown and being all hyped up with your teammates then have to get focused enough to kick. I do not think it is automatic at all. People may think it is, and for some kickers it may very well be automatic, but for you to make an extra point you have to have a good snap to start with, good protection from everyone down on the line, then a good hold. I was lucky this year to have a snapper like Paul Veazey, who could make good snaps every time. If there was one that slipped, I had Brennan Gallet holding who could correct it and make sure I got the kick off.

Do you think this VC team has the potential to win a 2nd straight title? What will it take for that to happen?

It is very much possible to win another state title with this returning team this year, but we still have a very long way to go because we are not the same team as last year. We have to want it and have to be willing to work to get there. Nothing like that is just handed to you. So, if we all get on the same page and have our minds set on getting better and working hard another state title can be seen in the picture.

When you are not playing sports, I hear you love to fish and hunt. Tell us a good fishing story that involves you.

Well, just this month I went fishing in a St. Thomas More fundraising tournament and won first place in the trout division with my Uncle Dave Broussard, who owns Dave Broussard AC & Heating.
We were fishing and it was a long day so I casted my pole out then put it in the rod holder and went to make me a sandwich. After I finished eating I started reeling in my line to head back in to make it to the final weigh-in for the tournament, and then come to realize there was a fish on the other end.
I noticed right away that my line was wrapped up in the engine so I called my Uncle Dave to come help me, and I handed him my pole. I trimmed up the motor. He nearly fell over the engine into the water trying to get the line out from under the prop. He got it free then handed me back my pole then I reeled it in. So in the final minutes of fishing for the tournament I caught the winning fish in the trout division, but we had to work for it.

If you had to pick an adventure trip - going to hunt Elk in the West or salmon fishing in the East, which one would you select and why?

I don’t normally hunt big game and fishing is one of my biggest passions, but I would have to choose elk hunting in the west. Mainly because it takes a lot of patience and you have to work to find them then bag them. And the fact that elk are three times my size makes it even better.

Your name is Emile and your older brother’s name is Etienne. How bad do people pronounce your first name? Are you OK when your teammates call you “E?”

For some reason a lot of people have difficulty pronouncing my name. I don’t see how it can be that hard, but apparently it is. People that mainly mistake my name are those at the doctor’s offices or any announcers. They will say “Emily” instead of “Emile” this has been happening ever since I was a kid so I’m used to it by now and anytime I hear “Emily” I laugh then just say “Emile?” Then they realize their mistake then it’s all good from there. My teammates call me a few different nicknames, and I am OK with being called them.

You play football, baseball and run track. Which one of these three sports is your favorite?

My favorite sport would be football without a doubt. Now I hope Coach Veazey doesn’t find out I said that because he will probably put me on the mile relay team for track this year as punishment for not saying track is my sport.