SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — On the way to a recent media event, LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda and some of his fellow coaches laughed about the great bowl contradiction. How coaches are stressed, worried about the game and the opponent and every little detail. And all the while, everyone around the team is in vacation mode, planning their days and wanting to make this the best experience possible. And how all of that, as nice as it is, can make focus difficult — if not for the protective shield of the sport.
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“We’re in a bubble, man,” Aranda said. “Completely.”
Entering Tuesday’s PlayStation Fiesta Bowl against unbeaten Central Florida, LSU might need such protection. For various reasons, the Tigers (9-3) will start the contest down several defensive starters. The most important — cornerback Greedy Williams and nose tackle Ed Alexander — opted not to play to prepare for the NFL Draft.
In addition, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and walk-on linebacker Jared Small made the trip just days after their involvement in a fatal shooting near Baton Rouge. According to theNew Orleans Times-Picayune, Baton Rouge police say evidence suggests a “justifiable shooting.” But as of Sunday, the investigation continued. In a news conference, coach Ed Orgeron called Edwards-Helaire and Small two of the program’s “more dependable young men” and said both would play against Central Florida.
Then there’s Kary Vincent Jr.
A day before Christmas, the sophom*ore cornerback from Port Arthur, Texas, sent a text message to his father. His stepmother replied, informing him that his father, who had battled health issues in recent months, was in the hospital. Two days later, Kary Vincent Sr. died at age 49. A couple of LSU coaches suggested that Vincent return home to be with family. Vincent thought about what his father would’ve wanted. He thought about his LSU family. And he decided to stay with the team, safely inside that bubble.
Come Tuesday, he’s expected to start.
At 5-10, 182 pounds, Kary Vincent Jr. is an undersized defensive back with great speed. He doubles as a sprinter on the LSU track team, running the lead leg on this season’s 4×400-meter relay SEC championship team.
His father was the same way.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Kary Vincent Sr. played football and ran track at Texas A&M. Former Aggies football coach R.C. Slocum told The Athletic that he formed a connection with the elder Vincent during the receiver/defensive back’s recruitment. Slocum had grown up in Orange, Texas, just a short drive from where Vincent had played at Thomas Jefferson High in Port Arthur. For such reasons, Slocum always referred to Vincent Sr. as his “homeboy.”
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Texas A&M had a secondary that featured a lot of speed, “and he fit right in,” Slocum said. “We played him a lot as a nickel-back kind of guy, and he could go out there and run with anybody. Good player for us, and a good person. Never had any issues with him or anything. Just a fun guy to be around. He had a bunch of friends on the team. He was one of the guys that everybody really liked.”
Tim Cassidy, who worked with Texas A&M football for more than two decades, called Vincent Sr. one of his “favorite all-time players.”
“An amazing guy,” Cassidy said. “He had a great attitude. He had a great work habit, and he was always a teammate. He was always about his team.”
The New Orleans Saints chose Vincent Sr. in the sixth round of the 1992 NFL Draft, but the defensive back didn’t last. He spent a couple of seasons in the Canadian and arena leagues before turning to education. According to thePort Arthur News, Vincent Sr. worked 16 years in the Port Arthur school system. He also coached track and football at Memorial High, which his son attended, but he missed most of this season while battling pneumonia.
“Just an unbelievable personality,” Memorial football coach and athletic director Brian Morgan told thePort Arthur News. “He really lit up the room when he came in. Just this season, we missed him. We enjoyed having him around in the office. He kept the mood light.”
At Sunday’s team media day, you could see similar traits in Kary Vincent Jr. As he talked about his father in front of a small group of news reporters, he did so with a smile.
“My dad was like the funniest, realest person ever,” said the sophom*ore cornerback, who started seven of 12 regular-season contests, playing mostly in nickel packages. “People gravitated toward him. He was just a loving dude.”
The two bonded over football early in life. When his son was 7, Vincent Sr. recorded all of his youth games so they could discuss them later at home. He then coached Vincent all through middle school and high school, and it wasn’t always pleasant. “It was like the film room, 24/7,” Vincent said. “He just loved football. He was real big on the little things, like (LSU defensive backs) Coach (Corey) Raymond is now. That played a big part of me coming here. He reminded me of my father.”
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Vincent Sr. wore No. 19 during his college days, but he wore No. 5 in high school. So when his son arrived in Baton Rouge, that’s the jersey number he chose. You know how this goes: Everything Dad did, Junior wanted to do it better. Dad was a state champion high school sprinter, so Junior was a state champion high school sprinter. (“I know for a fact that I’m faster,” Vincent said, giving the old man a final playful jab.) Dad played college football at a high level; Junior did the same. Throughout his life, people always told Vincent Jr.: “You’re just like your dad.” In the moment, no kid wants to hear he’s like a parent. But suddenly, that means something.
Throughout his illness, Vincent Sr. shielded his son from his condition. He wanted him to concentrate on football. He didn’t want him to worry. As it turned out, Kary Vincent Sr. never got to see his son play at LSU in person. During the 2017 season, he couldn’t get away because of the damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey. This season, he got sick.
Time ran out.
Vincent’s OK with that. Throughout his life, he never saw his dad cry, never saw him get real emotional. So on Tuesday, he’ll take the field and he’ll be strong and he’ll play the best game possible because that’s what his dad would’ve expected. It’s just football, son.
“I think Kary’s going to have a great game,” Aranda said. “You could see the look in his eye; the determination is there. I think he wants to go play out for his dad.”
(Top photo of Vincent Jr.: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)
Doug Haller is a senior writer based in Arizona. He previously worked 13 years at The Arizona Republic, where he covered three Final Fours and four football national championship games. He is a five-time winner of the Arizona Sportswriter of the Year award. Follow Doug on Twitter @DougHaller
