Making waves

For Kendall Ardoin, choosing Tulane over the likes of Mississippi State, Louisiana Tech, ULL, Brown University and the other dozen or so schools that recruited him for his on field talents at tight end, was a no brainer.
For starters, Tulane offered him one thing that the other schools on that list could not; the prestige of a MBA from one of the best known business schools in the country. Secondly, playing for the Green Wave also allowed his family to still be able to travel to watch him play.
“I chose Tulane because it is close to home,” stated Ardoin. “And more importantly, Tulane is one of the most prominent academic schools in the nation. A lot of the guys that played football and have graduated already have jobs making six figures. It was also a place that I knew if I came and worked really hard, I would have a chance to play quicker than at other schools.”
When schools like Tulane and Brown University (of the Ivy League), that have some of the hardest academic requirements in the country, come to personally recruit you, it is something special. That means that not only can you perform on the field, but you have proven yourself in the place that matters most; the classroom.
For Ardoin, coming out of Ville Platte High School with a near perfect 4.0 average and college hours already under your belt through duel enrollment classes, academics were already on the check off list of how to secure a future beyond high school.
When asked what was the driving force behind his insatiable work ethic in the classroom, he humbly deferred that to his parents.
“Undoubtedly, my mom and dad were the most influential people in my life when it came to working hard,” said Ardoin affectionately. “They always told me that it is cool to want to play football and to be able to make it to the next level. But after football is over, you still have a whole lot of life to live and you always need an education to fall back on.”
Today, it seems as if being the smart kid is something that kids hide so as not to be ostracized from their peer group. Even though Ardoin did not have to face that situation very much growing up, he does heed some advice to those who may find themselves going though those hard adolescent years.
“It doesn’t pay to worry about what other people say about you,” commented Ardoin. “In the long run, your future is determined by you success in the classroom. Your work ethic will propel you past your peers and give you the background necessary to be a well-rounded successful person in life.”
Now, that work ethic is paying off for the red-shirt sophomore. Ardoin will graduate ahead of schedule and by the time his senior year of eligibility rolls around, he will be enrolled in the MBA program, working toward earning his advanced degree in finance.
“Having the opportunity in high school to gain college hours while still getting my diploma was a big plus for me,” said Ardoin. “Now when I am in my senior year, I will have graduated and will have the chance to continue my education and earn my master’s degree.”
But it wasn’t just academics that had colleges drooling at the opportunity to land the 6”5, 245 pound multi-sport athlete. Ardoin also showed his worth on the field, proving to be a go to receiver and ferocious blocker as a Bulldog gridiron star.
Ardoin collected 68 receptions for 1,049 yards and 11 touchdowns in his four years donning the purple and white; making him one of the most prolific tight ends in Ville Platte High history, along with Greg LaFleur and Marshall Frank.
What made him standout, was not only his deftness in the way he caught the ball, but also in the way he grew as a blocker in the run game.
However, even with his talent, college football was an definite adjustment for the big tight end; not only on the field, but off the field too.
“One of the biggest adjustments in college was having to manage your time,” said a sincere Ardoin. “In high school your routine is pretty much set, but in college with all of the off time between classes, you have to learn how to make a routine in order to study. On the field, the speed of the game is so much different. Things happen a lot quicker in college. I also had to learn how to become a better route runner and to try not to be the best at everything right away. You have to learn how to master one thing a time.”
One of the biggest adjustments for Ardoin this season is that he will be working with a brand new coaching staff. In the off-season, Tulane released head coach Curtis Johnson and hired Willie Fritz, former head coach at Georgia Southern in 2014 and 2015. In fact, there are no coaches held over from the Johnson staff, a staff that recruited Ardoin.
Fritz will bring in a whole new offensive system; the pistol offense that came to prominence with Nevada and Colin Kaepernick.
“We are going to be running the triple option out the pistol,” commented Ardoin. “Really it may look a lot different than what Coach Johnson ran, but the basics of the offense is the same in that we will be a run oriented team again this season.”
“That does not mean that the passing game will be left in the dust,” Ardoin continued, “It just means that the tight ends will get their opportunities to make catches off of the run game. I am used to having to do a lot of work in the box blocking, so it won’t be a stretch for me to learn something a whole lot different than before.”
Ardoin is now entering his third year on the team, having been red-shirted his freshman season. With that red-shirt, he now has three years of eligibility left, including this season.
When asked if being red-shirted was a good decision in his mind, Ardoin was quick to acknowledge that is was probably for the best.
“Looking back on it now, being red-shirted is going to benefit me in the long run,” stated Ardoin. “If I would have played my freshman year, I would have only spot played. This gave me an opportunity to make the adjustment and transition into a better football player.”
It sure looks like the benefits are starting to show for Ardoin. Last season the Green Wave tight end started in eight games and was a contributing factor not only on offense but on special teams. Ardoin hauled down six passes for 52 yards; two of those passes were caught for touchdowns.
Now, Ardoin is hoping to continue to grow his role in the Tulane offense and help the Green Wave do something they have only done once in the past 14 years; make it to a bowl game.
“No doubt we are ready to get off to a good start and have the opportunity to play in a bowl,” said Ardoin. “In fact when the new coaching staff got there they changed the codes on the doors to 2695, which means BOWL. So we are serious about accomplishing that goal.”
If Tulane does make it to a bowl, no doubt Ardoin will be a major piece of making it happen.