The (football) future is now for Loyola scholar-athlete Doyal

By LORI LYONS, Journal Sports

 When it comes to football, Loyola senior linebacker Carter Doyal is trying to savor every moment.  And as the Flyers reach the midway point of the regular season with a record of 3-2, Doyal is beginning to realize that his time on the playing field is fleeting.

“Every time I walk on the field I think that this is all going to be over soon,” he said. “Once thing my dad taught me was to take advantage because you never know what tomorrow will bring.”

Doyal is one of 21 Shreveport-Bossier seniors who have been named to the fourth annual National Football Foundation McNaughton Chapter Preseason Scholar-Athlete Watch List. Nominees must have at least a 3.2 grade point average, have won all-district honors and be involved in extracurricular activities.

In the spring, one Watch List standout will receive a $1,000 college scholarship award, from those 14 recognized with a Griffin’s Game Ball presented weekly by KTBS and Southern Classic Chicken in honor of the late Bob Griffin, the longtime sports journalist who was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

Others will be among nominees for eight more $1,000 scholarships issued by the McNaughton Chapter.

For Doyal, who is used to receiving honors and accolades for his hard work on and off the field, the nomination by his coach, John Sella, was a nice surprise.

“I’m proud of myself,” the math enthusiast said. “I’ve seen my fellow teammates get this award in the past. I’ve worked really hard these past four years to keep my GPA and my grades up and do what I’ve always meant to do. So being recognized for it feels pretty good.”

On the football field, Doyal is making up for lost time.

Afraid their baby boy would get hurt on the field, Greg and Lisa Doyal wouldn’t let their oldest son play football until he was in the fifth grade, even though he really wanted to.

“I had to watch all my friends play,” Doyal said. “My mom was terrified I would get hurt. My dad finally convinced her when I was in fifth grade.”

Since then, he’s played a little bit of everything. He started at center. Then moved to running back, then middle linebacker, then to outside linebacker and finally, to his current position at inside linebacker, where he currently leads the Flyers in tackles with 48 thanks to a little extra cheese challenge with teammate Hayden Horton.

 “Whoever gets the most tackles, the other one buys them queso,” he explained.

But soon – well, hopefully not too soon – it all will be over. Doyal, who is an honor student at Loyola, does not plan to pursue a path to college football.

“I thought about it for a long time, but I think going the academic route is going to put me at a better point in my life,” Doyal said. “I think I’m going to hang it up after this year.”

But the future is very bright for the youngster who has a part-time job at a local car dealership and spends as much free time as he can working out. He is considering careers in mechanical engineering, physical therapy and orthopedic surgery – or maybe a combination of two or all three.

The latter may have gotten an edge last week when Doyal, as part of another academic program he qualified for, got an opportunity to observe an actual knee replacement surgery.

“I was actually in the room,” he said with much enthusiasm. “The only thing that ever really bothered me was the smells.”

But, for now, Doyal is savoring whatever time he and his fellow Flyers have on the football field.

“It’s been an amazing experience and it’s taught me so much, more than anyone will ever know and it’s just so important to me,” he said. “You’re surrounded by a team and you’re going to have to come together if you want to succeed.”

Contact Lori at [email protected]