Sept. 22, 2009
It hasn't been an easy road for former Tech walk-on Adrian Logan, but the Coushatta, La. native has stayed the course and has rightfully earned a scholarship in his final season in a Bulldog uniform.
As a senior at Red River High School in 2004-05 Logan earned All-District honors and was requested to walk-on to the Tech football team by the Louisiana Tech coaching staff for the 2005 football season. However, the NCAA did not clear Logan in time enough to join the team so Logan spent his freshman year at Tech simply as a student rather than a student-athlete.
In 2006, Logan joined the student-athlete ranks as a walk-on for the Louisiana Tech football team and admitted to the struggles of a walk-on.
"As a walk-on it's hard because I think you have to work 10 times as hard to get noticed by the coaches," Logan said. "You have to really stand out to them to earn a scholarship as a walk-on. You have to really earn it."
The defensive lineman redshirted his sophomore year at Tech and spent the 2006 and 2007 seasons working with the practice squad.
As a redshirt junior in 2008 Logan began to open some eyes in fall camp. Due to a thin defensive line last year, he was given his shot as a walk-on and made the most of it. Logan played in 12 games for the Bulldogs while starting in two. Recording 17 total tackles on the season, Logan was one of the key players that helped Tech to an 8-5 season and an Independence Bowl victory. Logan played an integral part in a defense that ranked 13th in the nation stuffing the run.
During the spring of 2009 leading up to Logan's senior season he was called into Tech head coach Derek Dooley's office for a meeting and was given his rightfully-earned scholarship.
"After spring practices and the spring game, Coach Dooley scheduled a meeting for me to meet with him in his office one day," Logan said. "He said that the coaches had noticed my hard work and effort and how I was playing and he offered me a scholarship for my senior year."
"It was a great feeling to sign those papers," Logan said. "To know that I earned my scholarship for all my hard work and effort was just an amazing feeling."
With a scholarship now in hand Logan vows not to get complacent and believes there is still room for improvement for him and his defensive team mates.
"Even though we were 13th in the nation against the run last year I think we can be even better this year," Logan said. "I think we could also improve against the pass by doing a better job at getting to the quarterback this year."
Tech fans will have plenty of chances to watch Logan and the Bulldog defense this season with all but three games being televised in some capacity, whether it be a live national broadcast or a regional tape-delay showing of a game.
To find out more about Logan and other Louisiana Tech student-athletes, please visit the official home of Louisiana Tech Athletics at LATechSports.com.
