Sept. 29, 2010
RUSTON, La. - Football is such a big part of the Hitt family it might as well be woven into their DNA. The family's participation in the sport spans three generations (for now) with Tech's Mason Hitt being the latest member of the family to hit the gridiron in college. However, no one could have imagined that Matt Hitt's lineage would span from Ruston down to Baton Rouge and back up to Ruston again.
Going to high school in Baton Rouge, Hitt had no clue he would attend Louisiana Tech until late in the recruiting process when the school hired Derek Dooley as its football coach. Recruited by several other schools in the state and region, Hitt actually canceled other recruiting trips when Tech asked him to go on an official visit.
"I was being recruited by Arkansas State and Northwestern State," recalled Hitt. "I was supposed to go to Northwestern State when I canceled and came on a visit to Tech. I got an earful for that. I may or may not have been asked to visit Southern Miss, I don't really remember. Looking back, everyone ahead of me on recruiting list ended up going to other schools but by the time they would have asked me to go on their visit, I had already committed to Tech. Southern Illinois talked to me and believe it or not, all of those coaches ended up going to Northern Illinois. I played against them in the Independence Bowl in 2008."
As soon as Hitt visited Ruston and Louisiana Tech, he committed to the school and hasn't looked back.
"The biggest thing for me is I really had no plans to come to Tech [initially]," said Hitt. "The man upstairs really knew what he was doing in leading me up here because I really had no clue. After being up here, I really love getting involved with the professors."
Joining the Tech team football made the Hitt family a house divided almost instantly. In his freshman year, Tech played at LSU and Mason lined up on the gridiron across from his brother, Lyle, who was an offensive tackle for the Tigers.
"The first time [we played each other] was pretty miserable," said Lyle, who is now a medical sales representative for Stat Home Health. "It was not too much fun for the both of us. It was the first time I had to go against my best friend. I had to put him in the dirt and make him look bad. It took focus away from the game for me."
To make it worse for Mason, the Tigers beat Tech 58-10 that season. But redemption for the Blue and Red almost came last season, when the two teams faced each other again. Mason also had a chance at redemption, being named the starter to line up opposite his brother.
"That was a unique experience," said Beth Hitt, mother of the two boys. "I got some great pictures that game because they were going against each other. The first time, Mason was a freshman and got to get in some of the game. The second time, both were starting and it was a whole different intensity level."
It was the second game that was much more emotional for the family as it was a close game. Tech took a 13-10 halftime lead into the locker room before falling 24-16.
"I don't remember my actual thoughts but there was a sense of urgency (in the locker room). We knew we had to step up and play not just to win," recalled Lyle. "We had to spread ourselves out. We knew we could play better than we did in the first half."
Both games were a unique experience for the Hitt family, with brother going against brother in Death Valley in Baton Rouge.
"We just sat and watched," said Joe Hitt, the siblings' father. "It was hard to cheer for one or the other, but it was pretty exciting. Not many parents get that or have that happen, but we were excited to see that happen. We made a big celebration around it, a big tailgate. We had a lot of fun with it. It was kind of a house divided type of thing. We had a big tablecloth where one side had Tech colors and the other side had LSU colors."
"I wouldn't let them make me choose a side," added Beth Hitt. "We made t-shirts that had both helmets with each of our boys' numbers on them. The back of the shirt said `When brothers meet on the gridiron, it's a Hitt.' We must have had 50 people wearing those t-shirts last year. We had a big tailgate, and a lot of family came in to see it."
In a twist of irony, the purple and gold Hitt, Lyle, ended up marrying a Ruston girl last year, the former Anna Lyons.
"He married a Ruston High School legend as far as women's sports goes," Mason explained. "She played all of the women's sports at Ruston - threw the javelin, played basketball and all of that stuff. She ended up getting a track scholarship to throw the javelin at LSU, and they met down there. It's a small world; it's funny how it worked out. I was up here, and then he started dating her. I love it when they come up to see her parents because then I get to see Lyle."
"It's great," said Lyle. "What a small world. One of Mason's best friends at Tech is a guy my wife grew up with, Thomas Graham. We started talking about seeing Mason and Thomas, and it quickly became a really small world because there were so many connections between the two."
Mason and Lyle are the third generation in their family to play college football as their father, Joe, played at Southeastern Louisiana and their grandfather on their mom's side played at Tech.
Following the 2009 Tech vs. LSU game, the family traveled to a Baton Rouge hospital where they visited with Richard M. "Jack" Pullig, Beth's father and Mason and Lyle's grandfather. A former Tech player and professor, Pullig was always proud of his grandson playing for his alma mater.
"That second game in Baton Rouge was even more unique because my dad was in the hospital," said Beth Hitt. "Since he was in Baton Rouge, Coach Dooley let Mason stay with us and go see him in the hospital. It was great that he was able to spend time with him after the game because he passed away soon after that. It was an emotional time all around with a lot of different emotions."
"Daddy's connections to Tech were so close," continued Beth Hitt. "He always loved Tech. He went there and taught there for 10 years. He left to get his master's degree at LSU but immediately went back to teach there so he was really excited when Mason signed with Tech. He was even on one of the first football teams that Tech had. He loved football but then found out that he had to study too, so that didn't last very long."
With this being Mason's senior year, the Hitt family may have a break from football coming up unless the youngest son, Tucker, ends up playing at the collegiate level. Tucker, however, is a tall thin receiver, with a body style unlike Mason and Lyle's. The same goes for the eldest sibling and the only daughter born to Joe and Beth, Rachael, who Lyle describes as "normal size and pretty, unlike the rest of us."
"I know both of my parents have really enjoyed watching us play," said Mason. "I don't know what my mom is going to do next year without any of us playing, unless Tucker goes and plays."
