4 Lake Charles Natives to Be LSU-McNeese Guest Captains

Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Plenty of Southwest Louisiana connections will be in Tiger Stadium this Saturday as McNeese heads to Baton Rouge to take on LSU. The game kicks off at 6:45 p.m. Saturday, October 3, in Tiger Stadium. But before the game gets started, four familiar names with strong ties to Lake Charles will take part in a special LSU tradition.

Chris Truax, Kevin Guidry, Jamie Bice and DeSean Smith will serve as guest captains before the game and during the coin toss. All four have a connection to LSU football, and each has a story that brings the game back home to Southwest Louisiana.

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Plenty of LSU/McNeese Connections

McNeese and LSU have had plenty of connections over the years, but maybe never as many as there are now. Last year, former McNeese President Wade Rousse took over as president at LSU. He then brought former McNeese Athletics Director Heath Schroyer with him to Baton Rouge. The connections continued when, a few days after hiring Schroyer, unofficially, LSU hired former McNeese basketball coach Will Wade to take over the Tigers' basketball program.

LSU To Feature Four Lake Charles Natives As Guest Captains Before LSU/McNeese

On Saturdays before kickoff of home games, LSU recognizes former players, coaches, and other special members of the LSU family as guest captains who are honored before the game and join the team on the field for the coin toss. Saturday, four Lake Charles natives will once again be honored before the game against McNeese.

Chris Truax - Chris Truax spent four seasons playing football at LSU from 1988 through 1991. He played offensive guard and was part of an LSU team that won an SEC championship in 1988. After his playing days, Truax went into coaching. His career includes stops at Stephen F. Austin, Northwestern State, and McNeese, where he was part of five conference championship teams. Truax later became the head football coach at St. Louis Catholic in Lake Charles.

Kevin Guidry - Kevin Guidry played football at LSU and was a third-round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft. He went on to play eight years in the NFL, including time with the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, and Phoenix Cardinals. Guidry later returned home and became involved in local government and community work. He served for years on the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and has also been involved with a number of local organizations. He is currently the president of the Board of Commissioners of the Port of Lake Charles, and helps former Tiger Chris Truax coach Football at St. Louis Catholic.

Jamie Bice - Bice grew up in Lake Charles and played football at LaGrange High School. He went on to LSU, where he played strong safety from 1985 through 1988. He was a three-time Academic All-SEC selection and was part of LSU's 1986 and 1988 SEC championship teams. After football, Bice stayed in Baton Rouge for a time while attending law school at LSU. He later returned to Lake Charles and practiced law before being elected as a judge on the Lake Charles City Court in 2015.

DeSean Smith - Younger McNeese and LSU fans may remember DeSean Smith from his time on the field. Smith grew up in Lake Charles and played at Barbe High School. He was one of the top tight ends in the country coming out of high school and played in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Smith signed with LSU and played for the Tigers from 2013 through 2015. During his LSU career, he appeared in 35 games and caught nine passes for 162 yards. His longest catch was a 26-yard reception against Alabama in 2015.

McNeese To Face LSU on Saturday In Baton Rouge

LSU and McNeese will square off Saturday night inside Tiger Stadium for the fourth time in program history. Kickoff is set for 6:55, and the game will air on the SEC Network.