Laird, Lyons named for Hall
Lincoln Parish duo to be honored by state prep organization
, buddy@rustonleader.com
11-01-2009
Big numbers compiled during their legendary careers have added up to a big honor for Brad Laird and Michael Lyons.Former Ruston High quarterback Laird and ex-Grambling High basketball coach Lyons were announced today among the members of the induction Class of 2010 for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association/Louisiana High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Joining the Lincoln Parish tandem in ceremonies to be held Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge will be DeQuincy three-sport letterman Donald Edward Ellis, Florien basketball star Bruce Williams and Sicily Island basketball official Bennie “Ben” Mahaffey.
It’s the highest honor available at the prep level for an athlete, coach, administrator or official and will boost the Hall’s membership total to 241.
“When you think about the fact that this covers all of high school athletics in the state and how many have been honored before, it’s a very humbling and rewarding honor,” said Lyons. “And the fact that Brad Laird from Ruston High is also in this class, it makes it very special for Lincoln Parish.”
Said Laird: “No doubt, this is an incredible honor that is credited by so many people other than myself. Football is a team game that takes the entire team and this honor is a team honor. I am extremely excited to be honored and thankful to the LHSAA and what they provide for individuals in high school athletics.”
For Laird and Lyons, it wasn’t a matter if they would eventually be recognized with such an honor. It was simply when, because both individuals produced amazing marks and received numerous awards during their outstanding careers.
In a 30-year career at Grambling High, Lyons compiled a mind-boggling record of 1,91-211 that was split between guiding both the boys’ (757-113) and girls’ (434-98) girls.
He won a combined 41 district titles, six state championships and a plethora of “Coach of the Year” awards at the league, state and national levels. He was earlier chosen for the LHSAA’s “Top 28” boys tournament Hall of Fame.
“Honestly, I never thought about the number of wins or championships, because I was always concerned about the next game or the next season,” said Lyons, who officially retired in September and is now involved in various businesses in the area.
“It’s not until somebody comes up and shows me an article about what we did or mentions about how many wins we had that I realize the significance of it. Honestly, it’s pretty phenomenal.”
Lyons sent nearly 50 of his players on to the collegiate level, plus had two players make it in the NBA, one of them being current power forward Paul Millsap of the Utah Jazz.
“The greatest satisfaction of all is getting these players at a young age, where they come in with a blank sheet of paper and then go on to be successful,” Lyons said.
“It’s being able to help out young people that has been the most satisfying part of all in having been in the coaching profession.”
Not long ago, former Grambling High star Eldon Bowman visited with Lyons.
“He had his son with him and Eldon said, ‘son, this is the man that shaped my life’,” recalled Lyons. “That meant so much to me, the fact that former players had remembered how we were able to make an impact on their lives.”
Laird, now the defensive coordinator at Northwestern State University, had a phenomenal career at Ruston High.
He went 31-3 as a starter for the Bearcats, including a 15-0 mark during his senior season of 1990 when RHS was ranked No. 1 in one national poll and is oftentimes regarded as having the state’s best team ever. A total of 13 players from that squad signed collegiate scholarships, including Laird, who went on to start for three years and total 6,037 yards passing and be named to the program’s All-Time team.
As a Bearcat, he set single-season school records for passing yards (1,921) and passing touchdowns (20) along with career marks for aerial yards (4,157) and touchdowns (39).
“The continuity we had as a team was unbelievable, especially when it comes to the superstars we had,” Laird recalled about the 1990 team. “That was because of coach (Chick) Childress and his staff.
“It all started with coach Childress. The influence he had on all of us was unbelievable.”
Laird — he was a first-team all-stater in 1990 and also excelled in baseball and basketball — gives credit to a number of individuals who were instrumental in shaping his career and life.
“My first and biggest influence as a player and a coach would be my father, who has coached for over 30 years,” he said about current Bearcats’ head coach Billy Laird. “He influenced me through the passion that he had to make his players better people on and off of the field.
“Coach Childress showed us how to prepare and work as a team. He had a great knack of handling situations and individuals in a special way. I owe a lot to J.P. Dunbar (current defensive coordinator for RHS), who helped me through tough times as a ninth grader to continue to work and do the best I could and to stick with football. The story does not get mentioned a lot, but without J.P., I may not have continued playing football and this honor would not have been possible.”
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