Oct. 25, 2007

by Louis Bonnette

On the field Blake Bercegeay produces foot music.

Off the field, the McNeese State place kicker plays a different tune.

In three short years Bercegeay has become one of the FCS's standout place kickers.

The Gonzales native has been named to all-America and all-Southland Conference teams.

He's also led his league in kick scoring the last two years and is top ranked again this season. He's moved steadily up the all-time kicking chart at McNeese and earlier this year he tied a school record for consecutive field goals.

Off the field he's become something of a campus musical celebrity, the tunes he plays on his guitar ranging from the Eagles to Tim McGraw, and he's been seen playing at various outlets such as pickup gigs in dorms and apartments and at the weekly FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) meeting.

"I love music," he says. "Always have."

His father Shane led him to music when he was in the sixth grade.

"My Dad played in a band (named Pegasus) and he wanted me to play. He played a trumpet and a trombone but the first day of band tryouts, I picked out a saxophone," Bercegeay said.

He played that instrument throughout high school but says that he hasn't played it since.

"I've been playing the guitar for the past few years. I got some graduation money and bought one in Gonzales. I had it until I bought a new Takamine from Lake Charles Music."

He's mainly learned on his own, his only lesson coming during a class he took with McNeese professor Eric Sylvester.

"That was an awesome class," Bercegeay said. " I learned the cords and the progression and have gone on from there."

He rates himself as an intermediate player.

"I can usually pick up on a tune and play it," he said. "There are a couple of other athletes who are learning how to play. I play and sing a lot with Lindsay Brooks (a volleyball player who also plays the guitar)."

Bercegeay said that he has written two songs, music and lyrics.

"Several people have listened to them and have been impressed. They're two different songs. One is a sad love song and the other is a happy love song."

The Cowboy kicker is not the first McNeese athlete to show a musical talent. There have been others.

Like Chris Walker.

Can you remember back to 1979 when the Cowboys took on Syracuse in the Independence Bowl?

Who won the talent show the night prior to kickoff?

None other than the Cowboys own Chris Walker, a wide receiver from Sulphur, whose guitar playing and singing of Johnny B-Good brought down the house.

Current Cowboy offensive line coach Reggie Nelson, who earned all-American honors as an offensive lineman during his playing days at McNeese, was an accomplished musician also, playing trombone, baritone and tuba throughout high school and into his freshman year at McNeese.

"My mother put a lot of money into those instruments and lessons and she wasn't going to let me play football and give up music. I didn't play football until my senior year in high school when they said I could continue to play in the band and also play football," the Cowboy coach said.

Former coach Hubert Boales remembers the guitar playing of Billy Joe Davenport in the 1970s.

"I can remember making bed check in the dorm and Billy Joe would be playing his guitar. We'd wind up out in the hall in a sing a long," the coach said.

And, what about baseball all-American Ben Broussard, now with the Seattle Mariners. He began to pick his first guitar at McNeese and wound up making a CD when he was a member of the Cleveland Indians.

On this year team there's Bercegeay and there's also linebacker Deron Minor. Minor plays the drums and returns home each Sunday morning to play for services at his church in Beaumont, TX where his father is the pastor and his brother is the minister of music.