Kyle Pirtle commits to UL (TE)
Complete list of 2005 verbal commitments LOUISIANA La. – Less than two years ago, football wasn’t even on Kyle Pirtle’s radar screen at Lafayette High.
Now, he’s headed for a collegiate career, and he’ll stay close to home to pursue it.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Pirtle gave University of Louisiana head coach Rickey Bustle a verbal commitment to sign with the Ragin’ Cajuns on Wednesday, becoming the sixth player and the first Acadiana-area prospect to commit to the Cajuns for the 2005 recruiting class.
“I’d been around this area since I was three,” said Pirtle Thursday night. “I always went to their (UL) games, I always liked what they were doing and I like what they’ve done the last couple of years and what they have coming up in the future.”
Pirtle was a two-way performer for the Mighty Lions this fall, starting at linebacker and tight end, and said that the UL staff recruited him as a tight end.
“I don’t have a preference,” he said. “This was the first year I played both sides, and I came to enjoy them both.”
Pirtle played mostly at linebacker as a junior, and before that wasn’t even a part of the Lion program. He played varsity basketball for LHS since his freshman year and was also a member of the soccer team until last year, but hadn’t played organized football since his days with the SLYSI neighborhood program and at L. J. Alleman Middle School.
“When coach (Mark) Barousse came in, he asked me to come out for football,” Pirtle said. “I came out at the end of my sophomore year in time for spring practice.”
Pirtle was an All-District 3-5A honorable mention at linebacker in his first year. This past season, he was a mainstay on both sides of the ball for the Lions’ 7-5 squad that tied for the 3-5A title and beat favored Carencro in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Airline in the regional round.
The rest of the story
Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com
Quote
