1994 Bobby Dodd National Back of the Year
Kevin Faulk, Carencro High School (Carencro, La). rb 5’10” 195 lbs.
The gridiron success of multi-talented Kevin Faulk, the Bobby Dodd Award winner as 1994 of the Year, is more a testament to his work ethic than his ability alone.
That’s the sentiment of Tony Courville, an assistant coach at Carencro High School who has followed the physical development of the 5-10, 195-pound speedster headed to Louisiana University on a football scholarship.
When Faulk came out for football as a freshman at Carencro (pronounced – KAREN CROW- french for buzzard), he ran a 4.8 40. “With hard work, he’s got it down to 4.35,” Courville said adding, “He can wake up, get right out of bed and run a 4.4.”
Considered by all the talent scouts to be anywhere from the No. 1 school-boy pick in the country to no less than No. 3, Faulk had such a fabulous career in high school that 82 of the 107 Division 1 colleges in country solicited his services. The remaining 25 knew better than to waste their time. Before settling on LSU, he visited Notre Dame, Miami, Florida and Florida State.
What they all saw was a brilliant combination of speed and power. Faulk’s career yielded 9,412 all-purpose yards and 89 touchdowns. As a senior, he rushed the ball 199 times for 1,892 yards and 25 touchdowns. He returned 16 kickoffs for scores during his career for a program that compiled a 48-4 record.
On top of that, he bench presses 400 pounds and is the state triple jump champion with a 50-foot leap. The Super Man on the gridiron had buzzards flying over opponents heads even as a sophomore. When he led his team to a state championship and was named most valuable player as a 15-year-old.
“Some guys accept being good. Not Kevin,” Courville said. “He wants to be the best he can. What makes him special is that he has paid his dues in the weight room. He’s the first kid in there and the last one out. He’s a big proponent of the weight room.”
That work ethic has translated into everything Faulk has attempted. Not only does he excel in football and track, he’s the starting point guard on the basketball team for which he averages 20 points a game. In the classroom, he is a 2.9 stu-dent.
“As great an athlete as he is, he is a good person, first and foremost,” Courville said. “His teammates and fellow students both like and respect him.”
Respect, that is some-thing he has earned across the country. Honors are pouring in. He is the USA Today Athlete of the Year, Max Emfinger Player of the Year, Super Prep Player of the Year, National Recruiting Guide Player of the Year and a member of the Parade All-America First Team, among others.