The 2018 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame class has a distinct Cajun feel, with four of the eleven inductees this year have ties to Acadiana.
Lewis Cook is the longtime head football coach at Notre Dame in Crowley, Jack Hains is a former Bassmaster Classic champion from Rayne, Jerry Simmons, a former UL and LSU tennis coach, is the state’s winningest coach, and Brandon Stokley is an all-time Comeaux and UL football great, who won a Super Bowl XXXV with the Baltimore Ravens.
The class will be inducted in a ceremony Saturday at the Natchitoches Events Center.
Thursday, the members of the class spoke about being inducted.
"It’s great. I’ve been waiting a long time. Feel like I’m pregnant, waiting to have a baby," said Simmons who retired with a 492-197-2 career record in 26 seasons.
"When you think of the Hall of Fame, to me I think of the Larry Wrights, Brandon (Comeaux), the pro athletes, guys that are on the scene and you see all the time," said Cook. "For a coach, just a high school coach, doing something I always wanted to do and have done for 44 years, to lead me here, it doesn’t get better than that."