The Ragin' Cajun football team is honoring former UL student Mickey Shunick during their 2012 season.
As you recall, Mickey was kidnapped while riding her bicycle and was murdered in the early morning hours of May 19. August 17, Brandon Scott Lavergne plead guilty to Mickey's murder, and the murder of Lisa Pate in 1999. Court documents showed Mickey fought back. First spraying Lavergne with mace, then stabbing him several times with his own knife. Lavergne is currently serving a life sentence, without the possibilty of parole, at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.
Now, every Ragin' Cajun football player will have "Mickey" on their helmets. Coach Mark Hudspeth who says he's honored to make Mickey part of this football season.
Mickey Shunick was a UL student, and with the blessing of the Shunick family, the Ragin' Cajun football team will be honoring their daughter and sister. Hudspeth hopes Mickey's courage can help inspire the team, just as her story inspired the community.
"If we can show just a tenth of the amount of courage she has shown, hopefully well have a chance to be successful," said Hudspeth. "And it might be a little reminder to our guys, when things are going tough and we're faced with tough challenges throughout this season, it's nothing that Mickey has not gone through, not even close to what she has done."
Every team member will have a decal placed on the back of their helmet to carry Mickey's memory at every game.
"Obviously what we do on the field doesn't even come close to the type of courage, and fight that she has shown, and did," said Hudspeth. "And for us, we're just trying to honor the commitment, and courage I should say, that she had to continue to fight for survival."
The decals will have the familiar image portraying Mickey on her bicycle with her name spelled beneath. A football staff member proposed the idea to the team and Coach Hudspeth. The decals will be present the entire football season.
"It will hopefully be something that everyone can rally around together,. And like I said, we continue to honor one of our own, one of our students at UL in a way that would make her proud," said Hudspeth.
The decals will be ready for the first game on September 1.