A few hours ago I had the chance to sit down with Statesmen basketball player Deon Bergeron about growing up, playing basketball, the Super Bowl, his team, and much more. He is known for his laid back and amusing personality that made for an entertaining interview:
Nik Rule: We're here at the Penn Activities Center which many believe is the pride and joy of Penn Athletics. I am here with Deon Bergeron, a member of the men's basketball team at William Penn University.
NR: To start things off Deon, I must ask you where you're from?
Deon Bergeron: Lake Charles, Louisiana.
NR: So I got to ask, are you a Saints fan?
DB: Duh! What kind of question is that (laughing)?
NR: What does it mean to the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana having the Saints win on Sunday?
DB: Well, I can speak more for the state than the city... But it means a lot because they have stunk for so long. They have been pretty terrible, between the Aints and the Paper Bags, I don't remember that because I was little but my dad told me about the tough times. I mean we had an NFC Championship game three years ago, but ever since then... With Drew Brees, well it's just good to have a Super Bowl.
NR: I am a Niner fan, we need another one it's been rough...
DB: I'm sorry; they're bad man (laughing).
NR: It's no secret that Louisiana has been hit hard by Hurricanes in recent years. I have to ask, have you ever experienced a Hurricane?
DB: Hurricane Rita, in the same year as Katrina, I think it was September. But I actually went to school only two and a half days a week because we had to share our school with another high school. So every school in our Parish was pretty much destroyed except for ours. It was pretty interesting to go through that, we missed probably a month of school right off then did the whole two and a half day a week thing.
NR: How long did it take you to rebuild everything in your town?
DB: It probably took us about three weeks just to be allowed back in and probably about two or three months for things to get back to normal... I mean some areas came back and others didn't come back at all.
NR: You mentioned your high school, did you play any other sports and was basketball your favorite sport?
DB: Actually baseball, I was a big into baseball. I mean I wasn't very good at hitting... I like baseball probably just as much, if not more, than basketball. I played golf, I did track... I actually went to state in track; it was the only thing I went to state in (laughing). I wasn't very good at it, but I could throw a discus... Yeah, I did pretty much everything besides Cross Country, it was a small school.
NR: What was your best athletic moment during high school?
DB: We beat Latassine High School, a team that we hadn't beaten in ten or eleven years. They had already beaten us twice that year, once by thirty, and it was a big deal for us... We beat them by one point.
NR: Do you have any siblings?
DB: Two brothers...older.
NR: Any sibling rivalries and competitiveness as far as athletics?
DB: (Laughing). Yeah! Pretty much in everything we did whether it was video games, or athletics, or anything. I was the little one and was always trying to hold my own with them until I got to be in middle school which is when I started to catch up with them in basketball. We actually played on the same baseball team in high school; I was in eighth grade... We had a senior, a junior, and an eighth grader. It was pretty interesting growing up, I was always the little munchkin trying to hold my own.
NR: Are they all taller than you?
DB: Not anymore! I am the biggest one now (laughing)... It's a different story now.
NR: What was the best advice you got growing up?
DB: Oh wow... I can't exactly say one that has helped me more than another advice wise. I know that my dad and high school coach Derek Robideaux helped me out a lot in helping me try to realize my college dreams; I always wanted to play a college sport... So they helped me out a lot and were probably my biggest influences.
NR: You mentioned college and trying to reach your potential, so what made you decide to come to William Penn?
DB: (Laughing) Well that's kind of funny... It was really my only offer I ever had. There is not a lot of recruitment going on for Louisiana athletes. There are about three or four tryouts around the state each year and Coach Lenhart in 06' called me and I mean once he called I was pretty much in. It was one phone call and I was here, not much recruitment needed on me.
NR: Now you and I have known each other for a while now and I remember after your freshman year you left and went home. Then you decided to come back. What about Penn and the basketball program made you want to come back?
DB: Well I went home and it was a lot of the same things I was doing growing up in high school. The same old place I had lived in, I ended up going to McNeese St. like everybody else and I figured that not many people get the opportunity to play college sports. I don't regret going home, but I am glad I came back... Yeah, I just missed basketball and missed Coach Henry and all the guys. It is very rare to get a group of guys that are as close as this basketball team.
NR: The men's basketball program has built quite a reputation in the past decade. You have been here for a few years so I have to ask, what is your best memory since being a part of the Penn basketball program?
DB: Definitely, winning the conference championship my freshman year and going to nationals. That was Henry's first time going to nationals, so it was a pretty big deal for him and for us... Getting a ring and everything and cutting down the nets... It was a good time.
NR: Let's talk about this season. You guys started out on fire, reaching as high as #8 in the nation, but recently you have had some struggles in conference play. In your mind, what is the main difference between Penn at the start of the season and Penn basketball now?
DB: I think after the last loss we, this week, have had great practices. I think when we started that losing streak; well what we call a losing streak, losing five out of eight I think... We kind of lost our way a little bit, as far as practice goes and the games. We haven't been working as hard and we've got that back in the past week. I think we've got things back on track.
NR: Athletes on campus admire and envy the way Coach Henry conducts your practices and makes you guys work. Take us through a normal practice with Coach Henry?
DB: Well usually we shoot around a little bit and get our legs warmed up before practice, waiting for Coach to get to the court... He's rarely on time by the way; you can put that in there (laughing). So once he gets here we get our straight faces on and we stretch, do some warm up drills, and it just depends on the part of the year... Usually some pretty intense drills and conditioning stuff, maybe some scrimmaging... Basically, whatever he feels like putting us through. Things are pretty tight laced, you ask to get water and you don't do anything you’re not told... You don't even burp out loud, it's pretty disciplined.
NR: We've talked about you being a college athlete, but you're also good in the classroom as well. What are your top priorities as a college athlete?
DB: Good question... Hmm, top priorities as a college athlete. Well first of all you come here to graduate. Now I think I have a bearing on what I think I want to do (teaching) and I want to keep my grades as high as possible while balancing a social life and athletics. Academics come first, even though sometimes it doesn't happen (laughing).
NR: When do plan on graduating and what do you plan on doing after graduation?
DB: Next May... I actually have given some heavy thought as to becoming a Marine officer and going to OTS for that. If not I would like to find a field in the marines, if I don't do teaching back home in Louisiana.
NR: Describe yourself in three words?
DB: Three words huh... Passionate. Unathletic. Well hopefully funny too!
NR: This is the part of the interview that we're going to call circumstances. I am going to ask you a question, you tell me who or why you picked that person.
NR: To start things off, if you're having trouble in class which one of your teammates would you pick to help you out?
DB: Ooooh... Well not so much a teammate, but Luke Letzring. He's a coach now and used to be a teammate. So yeah, Luke.
NR: You're stranded on deserted island, which teammate do you pick to stay with you?
DB: Oh man, probably Coffey because he's funny.
NR: Mardi Gras is right around the corner, pick one teammate to come with you?
DB: Joel, because he's never been to Louisiana or seen anything like it.
NR: You're having a bad day and you need someone to cheer you up, who in the locker room is most likely to do that?
DB: (Laughing) Either Terry Coleman or Jesse DeGeest. There just always in a good mood. Just good upbeat guys who are hilarious.
NR: Life or death situation. Which teammate would you trust to have your life in their hands?
DB: Walter Herron. He's just hard core, he's just crazy and tough. I'd trust him.
NR: You're down by one point with seven seconds left. Who on the team do you want to have the ball in their hands?
DB: For real Nik? You don't even have to ask that... It's Kris Miller.
NR: We will end things with a segment I like to call "Rapid Fire". I'll ask you a question and you respond with a quick and short answer?
NR: Lebron or Kobe?
DB: Lebron.
NR: NBA or NCAA basketball?
DB: NCAA.
NR: Winter or summer Olympics?
DB: Summer.
NR: Who will be the greatest player of all time? Lebron, Kobe, or MJ?
DB: Jordan.
NR: Megan Fox or Angelina Jolie?
DB: Megan Fox!
NR: Mountain Dew or Pepsi?
DB: Dr. Pepper.
NR: Lost or American Idol?
DB: Can I say neither?
NR: Leno or Conan?
DB: Conan. It sucks him leaving, he got the shaft.
NR: Boxers or briefs?
DB: Well... Boxers.
NR: Favorite NBA team?
DB: Hornets.
NR: World Cup or the Masters? I know you're a golfer too and you enjoy soccer.
DB: Geeze... Both man, they don't come at the same time so both.
NR: Republican or Democrat?
DB: Republican! (Laughing)
NR: Your girlfriend or your dog?
DB: Don't have a dog. So my girlfriend, that makes it easy! (Laughing)
NR: Your girlfriend or your mom?
DB: Oh no! Man... Ohhhh! (A long silence)... Ah, girlfriend or mom. Let's see, Mother’s Day and Chanon's birthday aren't on the same day... Dang, uhm both.
DB: Geeze man, you can't put me in that spot again!
NR: Who’s the prankster on the team?
DB: Prankster, prankster, prankster... Hmm either me or Coffey I guess. We don't pull to many pranks or we get in trouble.
NR: Who is the shy guy on the team?
DB: Walter, once get to know him he turns around but "Shoog" for now.
NR: Who is most likely to have ten kids?
DB: Probably, Jesse.
NR: Who is most likely to become a great basketball coach?
DB: Hmmm... We will give that one to Kris Miller.
NR: Who is most likely to live in Oskaloosa for the rest of their lives?
DB: Oh man... Kris Miller or Joel. We call both of them "Osky Lifers," that's there nickname.
NR: Who is most likely to be a CEO of a major corporation?
DB: Who is a smart guy? Hmmm. No one, well I guess we'll give it to Luke.
NR: Who is most likely to become a life-long college student?
DB: (Laughing) Well Kris has already been here for like 16 or 17 years, so I can see another 20 in his future.
NR: Who is most likely to be a bachelor the rest of their life?
DB: Caleb Stout. That one is easy.
NR: Last question. I got to get your pick for the NCAA tournament coming up?
DB: Kansas. Yeah, I'll have to go with Kansas.
NR: I'll give you the last word.
DB: This interview has been great, I hope it is insight to the basketball program and I look forward to reading many more about all the other programs you guys cover.
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