MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / August 4, 1999

LAPLACE – When Tulane began the 1998 football season, few knew what to expect from the Green Wave. The team was coming off a 7-4 record inTommy Bowden’s first year as coach, the team’s best mark this decade.

But this was also a program that had won a combined 15 games in the seven years prior to Bowden’s arrival.

The Green Wave figured to be better but what happened in 1998 was beyond anybody’s expectations.

Twelve straight wins by an average of 20 points. The Conference USAchampionship, the program’s first conference championship since it was a member of the Southeastern Conference in 1949. A 45.4 points per gameaverage.

“It was unexplainable,” sophomore kicker Casey Roussel said. “It wasunexpected. We knew we would be in contention for the conferencechampionship. We knew 11-0 was out there and we could get it if weworked hard. It was something to see it unfold. We didn’t expect to blowout people like we did.”Roussel is one of the players Tulane is counting on to step up if the Green Wave is to repeat the success of last year. The St. Charles Catholicgraduate is being asked to take over for the best kicker (Brad Palazzo) and punter (Brad Hill) in the conference.

Roussel came to the Green Wave in 1997 after a stellar career with the Comets. In his senior year, he kicked eight field goals, made 30 extrapoints and averaged 41.3 yards per punt in being named all-Metro and all-State. Against St. Bernard that year, he kicked a 55-yard field goal, thelongest in school history. Roussel also started at defensive end for twoyears for the Comets.

“Not only did he do all our kicking chores, he was a vital part of our defense,” Roussel’s high school coach, Wayde Keiser, said. “He didn’t letpressure get to him. He was very accurate with his extra points and hecould boom the ball punting. He took kicking seriously and did a great jobon defense. He was an excellent athlete to coach and a great kid to coach.”Roussel, who also played baseball at St. Charles Catholic, said he enjoyedhis time there.

“I enjoyed it,” Roussel said of playing for the Comets. “I loved the coachesand the fans, the parents. They were great. They supported us ineverything. It was a joy to play there. I’m going to keep on supporting themas long as I can and I wish them the best in everything. If I had to do itover again, I would definitely go to St. Charles again.”Roussel chose Tulane over a number of schools, including Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Southwestern Louisiana and Auburn, because of its academic program.

“I learned it took a lot of studying and working hard to make the grades,” Roussel, who is majoring and minoring in corporate finance and computer information services, said. “But I knew once I got a degree from Tulane, Iwould be set for life. It would be worth all the hard work.”Roussel was redshirted his freshman year with the Green Wave. WithPalazzo and Hill in front of him, he agreed it made no sense to waste his freshman year.

“It was great for me to learn from them and I learned a lot,” Roussel said of the experience.

Roussel took the time to get adjusted to the college game. While puntingwas relatively the same, in college he had to learn to kick off the ground instead of using a tee.

“Place kicking, it’s a whole different world,” Roussel said. “It took half ofmy freshman year to learn it. But it’s all the same when you get used toit.”At the same time, Roussel and the rest of the Green Wave had to get used to a new system. Tommy Bowden had replaced Buddy Teevens afterTeevens had gone 2-9 the year before.

The team also had to face a schedule that included Syracuse and Mississippi. A year later, facing a somewhat easier schedule, the GreenWave had come together as a team.

“The year before, we were still coming together and getting used to the system and the coach,” Roussel said. “Last year, we were all comfortable.We knew we had come together as a team and with the coaching staff and it showed on the field.”The Green Wave managed to go undefeated despite a number of distractions during the season. Shaun King, the conference’s MVP, brokehis wrist prior to the team’s biggest game against Southern Miss and played the rest of the season with the injury. The team also had to dealwith the threat of Hurricane Georges and Tropical Storm Francis. Andthere was the pressure of keeping the winning streak alive.

“The pressure came from having to play at a high level every week,” Roussel said. “We had to play great every week. We had to step up whenplayers got injured and things happened. We played as a team all 11weeks.”Tulane defeated Houston, 48-20, to clinch the Conference USA title and earn a bid to the Liberty Bowl against Brigham Young. The Green Wave beatthe Cougars, 41-27, to join Tennessee (13-0) as the only undefeated teams in the country.

“We were just excited to be there,” Roussel said. “To be on television andsee all the fans, it was exciting.”With Palazzo and Hill leading the conference at their respective positions, Roussel did not get to see much action in his redshirt freshman year. Hedid get to kickoff in the Wave’s 72-20 victory over Southern Mississippi.

This year, it will be Roussel’s turn to show what he can do. He had what hecalled “a phenomenal spring,” averaging 43.7 yards on seven punts in thespring game.

In preparing for the upcoming season, Roussel has been spending a couple of weeks with former NFL punter Ray Guy touring the country with his camps. He also said he has been doing a lot of bike riding, kicking andswimming to build up leg strength. Roussel also worked with strengthcoach Mike Iosia, who he credits as one of the biggest reasons for where the team is at.

“My leg is stronger than it’s ever been and I’ve been kicking higher than I ever thought I could,” Roussel said. “I’m very confident and excited and amlooking forward to the season.”Looking at the team’s chances for the coming season, Roussel said he sees a team that has a ton of potential and that is working hard to follow the success of last season.

As for himself, his goal is to become an all-conference punter.

“It’s just a matter of getting out there and doing it,” Roussel said.

“I’m going to go out there and try my best. To go out there and do what Godgave me the gift to do.”

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