The Kneaux Mag: April 2023 Edition
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New Orleans, as a city, is unique. The food, the culture, the music, and the people are unmatched across the globe. The distinct qualities that make New Orleans one-of-a-kind can be seen and felt throughout the city, and if you’ve ever been to a sporting event in New Orleans, you know that the city’s culture flows through every arena and stadium. One thing about New Orleans sport’s culture that I have always loved, is the way we as fans embrace our players. I say “our players” because that is exactly what it feels like when someone plays for our teams. It feels as if they are representing US and representing OUR city. If you are from New Orleans then you know the old saying, “If you love New Orleans, it will love you back,” and the realness of that can be felt in the love we have for our athletes.
Now, most athletes that represent our city come from around the country through drafts or free agency, and they buy in to our culture. In turn, we as fans embrace these players and see them as one of our own. However, every now and then we get to experience a homegrown talent put on for his hometown. Obviously, this is an incredible story to root for as a fan. But when that hometown player accomplishes a feat for the city and team that no one has ever experienced before, that is how legends are born.
In 2022, the Tulane Green Wave took college football by surprise. Having only 3 winning seasons out of its last 10, no one, not even the most die-hard Green Wave fans expected the team to have more than an average year. Little did we know, we would all be in for one helluva ride.
Tulane football in 2022 had many stars: Dorian Williams, Deuce Watts, and Michael Pratt to name a few. But make no mistake about it, Willie Fritz’s Green Wave in 2022 were carried on the back of one man, Tyjae Spears.
The Ponchatoula native began his ascent to Louisiana legend at Ponchatoula High School where in his senior year his dual-threat ability out of the backfield was on full display. Spears rushed for 920 yards, racked up 880 yards receiving and found his way to the endzone 18 times. He would commit to Tulane and be labeled as a 3-star recruit, which four years later seems laughable.
Fast forward to the 2022 season. Tyjae had already had a solid career at Tulane to this point, but he was about to accomplish would launch his stardom into another universe. As I mentioned earlier, when the hometown kid accomplishes the unimaginable for the hometown team, that is how legends are born. Without a doubt, Tyjae Spears is a Louisiana legend. During the 2022 season, Tyjae’s individual performance was the best of his career as he rushed for 1581 yards and 19 touchdowns while adding 256 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air. However, it was the accomplishments he led his team to that led to us here at The Kneaux choosing him as the cover athlete for the inaugural edition of The Kneaux Magazine.
Tyjae led the Green Wave to a 12-2 season and their first conference title since 1998. The team’s regular season performance earned them a spot in the Cotton Bowl against the USC Trojans. Just as it was before the season began, no one gave Tulane a chance. The difference this time around was that the fan base believed. We believed this team could shock the world, and we believed in large part because we had number 22.
If somehow you haven’t heard, or still can’t believe it (trust me, I understand), THE TULANE GREEN WAVE WON THE COTTON BOWL. The Green Wave went head-to-head with the Trojans, and Tyjae battled with the best quarterback in college football Caleb Williams. What Tyjae Spears accomplished during the regular season and conference championship cemented his legacy, but his Cotton Bowl performance elevated him to superstardom and legend status. Spears looked like the best player on the field that day as he shredded the Trojan defense for 205 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. The Louisiana kid showed out for Louisiana.
Spears’ 2022 season and Cotton Bowl performance has captured the attention of NFL scouts all over the league. He was the star of the Senior Bowl and representatives from all 32 teams were present at Tulane’s Pro Day. Not since fellow running back Matt Forte can I remember a Tulane player having this much hype. Not only does he have the hype, but he’s also captured the hearts of Saints’ fans. Scroll through Twitter and you’ll see hundreds of screen shots of fan mock drafts that have Tyjae Spears going to the Saints. If you ran a poll today and asked which player would fans most want the Saints to draft, Tyjae Spears may be the unanimous choice.
None of us know how Tyjae’s NFL career will play out (hopefully it plays out in black and gold), but we know what he’s done up to this point. He’s made history. He put Tulane Football on the map. The homegrown kid became a hometown legend. Whether it be for the Saints or any of the other 31 teams, we wish him all the success in the world. We are proud to call Tyjae Spears our inaugural The Kneaux Magazine cover athlete.
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