Unselfish Attitude Distinguishes Senior Jai Eugene
You’ve probably seen him in the north end zone before kickoffs, jumping and waving his arms, or waving a towel in the air from the sideline trying to pump up the crowd. Or maybe you’ve seen his devastating hits from the secondary that break up passes. Either way, the contributions to the LSU football team of senior safety Jai Eugene are unmistakable.
“I do it because I love the game,” Eugene said. “I’m always happy when I’m around it. It just shows the character and the person that I am. I like to show spirit to my team and just for the game of football.”
One of the top-notch defensive prospects coming out of high school, Eugene first committed to the University of Michigan. It was after his son Jai Jr.’s first birthday party that he had a change of heart. He couldn’t bear the thought of not being in his son’s life for four years.
“I want to be a role model for him,” Eugene added. “I want to show him the way to being a great athlete, to being successful not just in football or sports, but in life period. I want to teach him to be successful and do the right thing.”
Staying close to his hometown of St. Rose, La. has allowed Eugene to accomplish that. One of his biggest teaching tools is how he acts on and off the field. He moved from cornerback to safety for his senior season, although the move wouldn’t guarantee him more playing time.
“I moved for needed areas, to be more of a leader in the secondary, and for other guys to have opportunities to get experience under their belts,” he said. “I’m a team player and whatever the team needs me to do, I do. I try to give 110 percent when I’m on the field.”
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Eugene says he likes both positions and tries to be successful at them, like former LSU standout and current New Orleans Saint Randall Gay.
“Randall Gay can play both corner and safety,” Eugene explained. “He’s not a full-time starter in the NFL, but he has a lot of experience at both positions and plays well.”
Another player Eugene feeds off of is his own teammate, quarterback Jordan Jefferson. The two are from the same hometown, and were also teammates at Destrehan High School. Jefferson was once Eugene’s back-up quarterback. Although they play on opposite sides of the ball at LSU, they work to make each other better.
“He’s been under my wing ever since we played park ball,” Eugene said. “We’ll always talk about the games, what we can get better at and the good things that we do. I want to continue to show him the way, making him a leader and the person that he is.”
Jefferson continues to look up to Eugene and appreciates everything he brings to the team.
“He’s a veteran guy,” Jefferson said. “He knows everything to expect in a college game. He always stays confident and motivates a lot of people on this team. Just having a teammate that I’ve known for a long time, it’s really something special.”
Eugene is the only senior in the secondary. His experience over the last five years has put him in a leadership role.
“I’ve definitely had to step up as a leader, having the most experience in the secondary,” he said. “I know the ins and outs of the defense. I’m helping the younger guys develop as big-time players.”
The attitude and work ethic Eugene portrays to his teammates is something he wants to be remembered for.
“I want to be remembered as a great teammate,” Eugene said. “A guy who was there for everyone. A guy who didn’t complain about playing time. A guy who just did whatever the coaches asked him to.”
Eugene will suit up and take the field in Tiger Stadium for the last time today, Senior Day. There are many aspects of the game he will cherish, especially the things he will miss most.
“I’m going to miss having my son come see me play. I’ll miss the incredible fans here and the love you get from the whole state of Louisiana.”