We would like to welcome our next Diamond In The Rough to Gridiron, Liam Vidrine, a 6’7″, 295-pound Class of 2028 Offensive Lineman out of Sacred Heart High School in Ville Platte, Louisiana. Vidrine currently has a 3.5 GPA entering his junior year of high school and recently attended the Rosepine Gridiron Football camp, where he was named one of the top performers of the day. He moves extremely well for his size and will only get more athletic as he is only a sophomore. He played many sports besides football, like basketball and baseball, but a knee injury set him back a bit. Now he is healthy and looking to be one of, if not the best, linemen ever to come out of Sacred Heart. He says every kid in Louisiana dreams of playing for LSU, but Nicholls is his preferred smaller college.
Here is my conversation with Liam Vidrine:
What has your football journey been like? At what age did you start playing football, and what inspired you to play football?
I started playing football around 9 years old during the peewee days, and it’s been a kind of hard journey. In my freshman year of high school, I had a knee injury, so I had to sit out the whole year. I came back in my sophomore year and did pretty well.
Who have been some of the biggest influences in your journey? Family members, coaches, etc?
Definitely my old head coach, my mom, who is always pushing me in the gym, and my personal trainer.
When you went through that knee injury, what did you learn throughout the whole recovery process?
Well, that was my first real adversity, and I learned that God always has a plan for us and that we shouldn’t give up.
How would you describe the football culture at your school, community, and in Louisiana?
It’s a huge part of our culture in Louisiana, like when you go to Louisiana, you’re going to an LSU Football game, and it’s just a huge part.
Do you have a core memory of playing as a little kid, like when you first started playing?
We used to run this play where we ran it right up the middle, and it was a lot of fun because we just pushed everyone back, and it felt really good.
Was playing on the offensive line something you always wanted to do, or did you have another position in mind at first?
I actually always wanted to play quarterback because I had a great arm from playing baseball, but as I got older, I was way too big to be a quarterback, so I just went to offensive tackle, and it has worked out.
What’s something about your game that you think separates you from other players at your position?
My footwork is very good and I move very well for my size.
What part or parts of your game do you feel like have improved the most over the years, and what would you like to improve on?
I can improve my striking and run blocking, as well as my pass blocking and pass sets.
Walk me through your preparation during a typical game day.
So get out of school. Our school provides us with food, so we eat a little bit of that. We go through a walkthrough of plays in our gym, then we get dressed, get taped, get our ankles taped, go outside, stretch, come back into the locker room, put the pads on, and then it’s game on from there.
What were some of the toughest challenges you faced over the years of playing thus far?
So after my knee injury, I played my freshman year: football, basketball, and baseball. When I recovered from my knee injury, I was playing basketball, and I jumped up, and I tore a tendon in my hip. I had to sit out every sport in my freshman year.
What was the most memorable game you played, and why did it stand out?
Probably this one game where I made a very good tackle on the quarterback in the back field.
How would you describe yourself as a leader to your teammates?
I’m very vocal and I just love making people better.
When people look back at your high school career, what do you hope they say about you as a player and person?
I want them to say that I was the best lineman ever to come out of Sacred Heart and that I was one of the best in the state.
What is that bond like between you and your offensive line?
We’re extremely close, like our offensive line coach will take us out to eat every once in a while, which gives us a chance to connect and bond more.
What was the Rosepine Gridiron Football camp experience like?
It was very new. It was very similar because I had never done a showcase like that, where we ran the 40, the shuttle, did the broad jump, and all that. The tire pull was especially fun and very competitive.
How did it feel to be honored as one of the top performers?
I felt very good about it. I felt honored because I didn’t know if I was going to get it or not.
What were some of your biggest takeaways from it? What is something you learned the most?
Not to attack a defensive lineman in pass-blocking situations. Let them come to you and then attack him.
What has the recruitment process been like for you? Are you getting in contact with any college coaches?
I mean, every kid in Louisiana wants to play for LSU. I’ve had a couple of colleges visit my school, and I’ve spoken with them. One of the coaches told me one day that I need to lose forty pounds, so that’s when my journey started, and I’ve already lost forty pounds.
Is there a smaller college you have in mind that you can start out at and then work your way up?
I would love to play for Nicholls. I would like to stay in Louisiana and take care of my mom.
Why do you believe you can be a difference maker wherever you end up?
Definitely my size and my knowledge of the game. I feel like I know so much right now, being this young, and I know I still have so much to learn, so the possibilities are endless. Like, tell everyone what this defensive lineman is going to do and which coverage they are running.
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