Former LHS standout Nick Julien has been working as a teacher and coach at Franklin Senior High.

FRANKLIN — On a hot, muggy night with mosquitoes twirling around, The Franklin Hornets football team prepared to battle the Loreauville Tigers in the season’s first district game for both sides.  Following a brutal two-week stint on the road, the Hornets players and coaches were just happy to be back home in front of their fans.

Franklin High Assistant Football Coach Nick Julien stood along the sideline, peering across the field as the Tigers completed their pre-game drills. He knew it wasn’t just the game itself that filled him with nervous excitement, but rather, the Hornets were playing his alma mater.  

For Julien, 25, in his first year of coaching, it was a bittersweet moment, as he couldn’t help but reminisce about his time at LHS, where he graduated from in 2012. “Yea, it was weird a little, coaching against Loreauville,” Julien said. “I grew up watching them,” Julien said. “I still have some of my LHS gear and athletic letter jacket.”  He is also very familiar with the LHS coaches, including Jude Dugas and Jacody Ford. Charles Francois, and James Knatt, both coached him in little league football.”

Julien grew up amid a rich football tradition in Loreauville, which produced numerous outstanding football players, including his dad Roy and uncle Bennie Julien. Nick Julien broke current LHS Assistant Coach Derwin Antoine’s single season rushing record of 1,851 yards in the first playoff game of his senior year. He finished the season with over 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. He still owns the rushing and the single season record for touchdowns scored, topping former LHS assistant coach Merlin “Butsy” Walet’s 1960 record of 28 TDs scored.

Despite receiving numerous accolades as one of the state’s best football players, Julien didn’t take lightly pursuing his opportunities of playing college ball. He lives by a philosophy that he has followed throughout his young life. “I learned never to be satisfied with anything,” He said. “If you think you’ve done enough work, there’s always more work to do.” 

He thought he would be following that philosophy at Langston University in Oklahoma when the school offered a four-year football scholarship.  However, his joy at playing college ball came crashing down when, without any warning, the school pulled the award, and he and his family had to scramble to find another school.

Former longtime LHS basketball coach Paul Reed stepped in to help the disappointed young player get to Arkansas Baptist.  “I called one of my buddies at Arkansas Baptist, who met Nick and was impressed with him, so he was able to walk on the team,” Reed said.

The always optimistic young man turned his initial distress into a successful experience as he made the team, played for two years, and graduated with an associate degree in General Studies.  

Julien’s first few months at Arkansas Baptist, located in Little Rock, Arkansas, can be likened to that of a deer in headlights. “Going from Loreauville, which is a little town, to the capital of Arkansas was hard,” he said. “I was unfamiliar with the environment, I was 18 years old, and the first time being away from home, it was tough.”

The real challenge turned out to be three workouts a day in football camp and not falling prey to the trappings of college life, including campus parties. “It was different from high school,” he said. “It was like every man for himself, and I had to feel my way around.” Finding a small group of close friends to help maneuver the college maze helped make life easier for Julien. One of those friends turned out to be current Franklin Head Coach Tremaine Johnson, who was two years ahead of him in school.  Little did either of them know how their reconnection a few years later would result in doing what they love, while impacting young people’s lives.

After graduating from Arkansas Baptist, Julien again found himself looking for another place to continue playing football. Reed, who is now an assistant basketball coach at Centenary College, helped him land at Louisiana College.  Two of Julien’s former high school teammates, JP Reed and Andrew Bell, were both attending LC, and they wound up being roommates.

Julien initially majored in physical therapy, but because of the challenges of football, he switched to physical education and coaching. That wasn’t the only obstacle the college athlete had to face. During his first year at LC, Julien became a first-time father. He credits strong support from his and his girlfriend, Jordyn’s families, in helping him transition into parenthood.  “There were times I thought about quitting and coming home and finding a job,” Julien said. “But I’m not a quitter. If I had quit college, I would have quit football, and I would have let my family and teammates down.” His determination was buoyed by a friend’s mantra: “tough times don’t last; only tough people do.”

That type of commitment and dedication fared well for the young father, who graduated from LC in 2017 with a degree in physical education and coaching. Still, the desire to play football didn’t end after college. For two years, Julien tried out for various NFL and CFL teams, which he called a fun experience. “Coming from a D3 school, athletes don’t usually get looks, but I was able to compete with D1 athletes. In some skills, I had better numbers than bigger school athletes,” he said. “Don’t sleep on small school athletes, if you can play, then you can play anywhere.” 

  The father of two little boys now, Julien decided to find another avenue to remain in the sport he loves, while helping to mold the lives of young athletes. Coaching seemed the obvious choice, and he followed that lane by first applying at Loreauville for a coaching and teaching job. There were, however, no openings, so the determined young man continued his search. 

Not to be deterred, Julien turned to his former college teammate, Johnson, who played a significant role in Julien’s future. It was a mutual friend that told him Franklin High was looking for coaches. Johnson encouraged him to apply and be patient. That patience paid off, as the school hired Julien as the receivers’ coach and assistant DB coach.

“I’ve always kept in touch with Nick,” Johnson said. “I’m happy he’s part of the staff because he has the same attitude as mine.  We understand how the kids at school think because we’re not that much older than them.”  

Reed believes that coaching is the perfect landing spot for Julien. “I’m not surprised he is doing something that he always loved,” Reed said. “He has always been very disciplined and humble, always put the team first and a hard worker.” Reed added Julien is a great young man doing an admirable job with the kids in Franklin, who respect him.  He is especially ecstatic that a young black man is entering the education field. “I’ve been in education and coaching for over 30 years,” Reed said. “I’m on my way out, so it’s always good to see young men impacting the lives of their students.”

Julien is the teacher for the in-school suspension center, where kids from Franklin High, Franklin Junior High, West St. Mary, B Edward Boudreaux Junior High, and Centerville High School. “It’s never a dull moment,” he said. “With kids, you have to talk to them about real life and what’s realistic to them.” Julien and his aides work with the students on short- and long-term goals, after graduation plans, and the proper ways of conducting themselves as individuals. “Some kids don’t know what they want to do after graduation,” said Julien. “We have to pick their brains, and it’s interesting and surprising listening to their answers.”  

Julien credits first-year Principal Natasha Jackson with helping him adjust to his role as a first-year teacher and coach. “Because it’s her first year, too, we’re kind of all learning at the same time,” he said. “Miss Jackson is very willing to help any time I need it.”

The young coach is especially excited with the camaraderie he has built with the team’s young players who have rallied and supported each other through difficult times this season. He also relishes his family’s continued support. “They’ve been great. My mom acts like I’m still playing,” Julien said. “She’ll holler at the officials, and I can always hear her voice in the stands.” As for his dad, “he always says his blood runs through Loreauville, but he’s got to support his son.”

For Julien, his satisfaction comes from doing what he loves, even if it’s a different avenue than expected.