Athletics Hall of Fame
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University will induct its two newest members into the Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday (October 1) when the Lions host Lamar in a 3 p.m. contest at Strawberry Stadium.
Entering the Hall of Fame are former soccer player Courtney Coutu and former football standout Willie Shepherd. The induction of the trio increases the all-time membership to 125. The duo will be formally inducted in an afternoon ceremony at the Hall of Champions at the University Center and will be introduced at halftime of the Southeastern-Lamar contest.
Coutu played soccer at Southeastern from 2000-03 and was regarded as one of the top defensive players during her tenure in the Southland Conference. A three-time All-Southland Conference and All-Louisiana selection, Coutu helped the Lady Lions to a pair of regular-season titles.
Coutu was named to the 2002 Southland Conference All-Tournament team and was a two-time Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week. She finished her career ranked second in career matches played (78).
The native of Maple Ridge, B.C., Coutu becomes the fourth player in school history to be selected to the Hall of Fame, joining Allison Holladay (2004), Becca Weingartner (2006) and Kim Kwolek (2009).
Shepherd, a four-year letterwinner in football from 1982-85, became the seventh player in school history to earn multiple All-America honors. The native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., earned second-team All-America honors by the Associated Press in 1984 before being named a first-team KODAK All-American in 1985.
He recorded 85 tackles, including a school-record 19 for loss with seven sacks, as a junior before following up with 89 stops, with 11 for loss and five sacks, for the Lions in 1985.
Named to the All-Louisiana football team as a nose guard in 1985, Shepherd finished with 308 tackles (fourth in school history) with a school-record 39 tackles for loss and 12 career sacks.
Tickets for the game are available by calling the Southeastern Athletic Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or on-line at www.LionSports.net.
