Dural Makes Huge Impact in First Year as a Starter
Speed is one of the most important assets an athlete can have in any sport. For players like Chris Johnson and Desean Jackson, speed is crucial to their success in the NFL. “Speed Kills” is an old football adage that is used by pundits, analysts and coaches. And if there was one player for LSU who embodies that statement, it would be Travin Dural.
“I am the fastest player on the team,” Dural emphasized. “Without a doubt, there is nobody that can compete with me. I am the fastest player on the team.”
This shouldn’t come as a shock to those who have been watching Dural, whose speed helped carry him back in middle school when he played little league football.
“I started at running back the first time (I played football). I played mainly because the quarterbacks in little league can’t throw the ball too far,” explained Dural. “I was a guy who was always fast so they put me at running back and I would only get outside runs and sweeps.”
Speed seems to run in the family as Dural takes after his father, who ran track for Louisiana-Lafayette and played receiver for the Cajuns. “I think my speed came from my dad’s side of the family,” Dural joked.
Aside from football, Dural excelled in track at Breaux Bridge (La.) High School by winning the 200-meter title at the state level and participating with the relay team. However, football was destined to be Dural’s calling. Due to his height and speed, his high school coach suggested a switch to receiver, and Dural has never looked back.
He became one of the standout receivers in Louisiana his senior year, garnering praise nationally from Rivals and Scout.com. He was recruited to LSU and came to Baton Rouge in order to be close to his family and to allow them to watch him play.
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“It’s so close to home. It’s only 40 minutes away and that played a big part in me coming here,” said Dural.
He suffered an injury to his knee his freshman year in 2012 which forced Dural to sit out and redshirt. He recovered from his injury and was expected to be a main contributor for the offense coming into the 2013 season. However, Dural ended up being overshadowed by Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., who are now both playing in the NFL.
“It was very difficult (getting reps) being that those guys were so good,” said Dural. “But it was a learning experience for me being behind two guys that are starting in the NFL and doing great things.”
Dural had only seven catches for 145 yards in 2013, but every pass he caught led to either a first down or a touchdown. He showed flashes of excellence as he caught touchdowns against Alabama and the game-winner against Arkansas at home, which became one of the more memorable moments of his career.
“That was amazing being that that was my first time actually really contributing to the team. It was a dream come true. We won that game, and it was an amazing feeling that I got to do that in front of my family and all the fans,“ said Dural.
Coming into this season, Dural was expected to be the No. 1 option as both Landry and Beckham declared for the NFL Draft. He was viewed as one of the dependable returning players since he was the only receiver coming back who caught significant passes in 2013. Incoming freshmen like Trey Quinn and Malachi Dupre were going to look to Dural for leadership and advice. But even though he knew he was now the main guy, the preseason presented more uncertainty and doubt than Dural would have liked.
“The biggest challenge was being the guy that they rely on to throw the ball on any down,” said Dural. “It was difficult coming in being that I hadn’t played that much. Going from not playing that much to being a starter, I wasn’t sure how I was going to handle all the attention I received from the coaches and all the expectations. But as camp went on and the season started, I embraced it for what it was and just ran with it.”
Dural did just that as he started this season off with a bang, catching a total of six passes for 291 yards and four touchdowns through his first two games. His three-touchdown performance against Sam Houston State was a remarkable moment for him, but it’s not his favorite.
“I think the one-handed catch (the touchdown two weeks ago at Florida) tops the Arkansas catch and the Sam Houston game mainly because it’s my first year starting and that was a major factor in us winning that game,” explained Dural. “That gave us the lead with a couple of minutes left and I hadn’t been having my best game and for that to happen like that for me (was a great feeling).”
Since the start of the season, Dural has developed into one of the premier deep threats in college football. He is averaging an astounding 26.1 yards per catch and has a total of six touchdowns through the first seven games of the season, something that even he didn’t expect.
“It’s something I’ve been dreaming about all my life and its finally happening. All the hard work I’ve put in throughout those years is happening for me. It’s something that I’ve been waiting for and I just took advantage of every situation I was in. I never expected it to go how it’s going right now,” said Dural.
With the Ole Miss and Alabama games on the horizon, Dural seems poised and ready to keep taking his game to the next level. He continues to make major strides towards improving himself, and his wide receivers coach, Adam Henry, also notices a difference in Dural’s play and confidence.
“He’s come a long way for us from the first day he was here on campus until now. He’s been working after practice and trying to do the little things right. The maturation process has sped up for him, and he’s doing a great job in the leadership of the receiver group,” said Henry.
“My confidence level is a lot higher than it was last year,” said Dural. “I had some doubts in myself (asking) ‘Am I a good football player? Can I do this? Can I do that?’ Now, I know I can make those plays and I know I can do things I’ve been dreaming about.”
Dural is now one of the unquestioned leaders of the team. He has become someone that his younger teammates can look up to and he continues to tell them the same thing that he was told by Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. when he was starting out.
“They used to say ‘Your time is coming and everything happens for a reason. You have to be patient and keep getting better every day and keep growing,’” said Dural. “So that way, when your number gets called, you’re going to be able to show the world what you’ve been working on.”