>> reporter: his accent was born here in lafourche parish, about 75 miles down the bayou from baton rougefamily is cajun, descended from french canadians in the 1700s and have proudly resisted assimilation ever since. when we stopped by, his mother coco insisted we eat before we talk. and really, whoomp we to resist sea fwood gumbo. this is absolutely wonderful. joog thank you, i appreciate that. >> ed would coach kids on the field across from their house. >> that was the play ground of the whole neighborhood. the ditch was the line and the sideline was a hedge and every once in a while you'd go up the sideline you were in the hedges. >> reporter: her son stood 6'2" and 270 pounds by the time he was 15. this south lafourche tarpins were did louisiana state champions with you saturdays were all about college football. what did lsu football mean to this family? >> it was a big part of our family, but it wasn't something we could go -- and go to the game. >> reporter: why not? >> we could not afford these -- that was an outing. it was ex pens -- you couldn't get a tickets, even. >> reporter:

the south lafourche tarpons were the 1977 louisiana state champions.aturdays were all about college football. what did l.s.u. football mean to this family? >> coco orgeron: it was a big part of our family but it wasn't something we could go and go to the game. >> wertheim: why not? >> coco orgeron: we could not afford these-- you know, that was an outing. it was expen-- you couldn't get a ticket even. >> wertheim: when his son asked for tickets to an l.s.u. game, ed orgeron sr. delivered the ultimate pep talk: >> orgeron: he said, "son, we can't afford that. but let me tell you somethin'. if you keep on working, you won't need a ticket to get into tiger stadium. >> wertheim: orgeron did get in. l.s.u. gave him a football scholarship, but homesick and overwhelmed by the big campus, he quit after two weeks, and hightailed it back to the bayou. >> orgeron: and the next day my daddy woke me up at 6:00 in the morning and said, "let's go, we're going to work," i was diggin' ditches. and people would pass us on the side of the road, "you quitter." you couldn'