RUSTON, La. - Eric Sutton's junior year at Louisiana Tech has been a different experience for the Texas High graduate than his previous two years with the Bulldogs football program.
Sutton was promoted to student assistant coach by the La. Tech coaching staff and has become an integral part of the daily work load.
With the NCAA suspension of all spring athletics and most campuses completing the spring semester through distance and on-line only learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sutton is back home but continues to aid the running backs coach.
The Bulldog coaches, staff and players hold a video teleconference meeting, separated by position coaches twice a week on Thursday and Sunday and Sutton is actively involved with the meetings.
"We are able to give feedback and instruction for the players' workouts through our meetings on Zoom," Sutton said. "Recruiting-wise, there haven't been many changes. Our coaches are staying in our region, they have staff meetings on Zoom and interact with recruits through social media. The only thing is that we can't bring any athletes on campus, right now."
Should the epidemic be over by the summer, Louisiana Tech is planning to hold spring football training in June, and the fall camp would begin in July to lead into the 2020 season.
Sutton went to Louisiana Tech because he got the opportunity to become equipment manager for the football team. He had spoken with a coach during a visit to the campus, expressed his desire to be a coach one day and was offered the equipment manager position.
He served in that capacity for two years before he was promoted to student assistant coach with the Bulldogs.
"I transitioned myself upstairs because I talked to the coaches about becoming a student assistant coach," Sutton said. "I fit in well with all the coaches, and I work with the offense and the running backs. Basically, whatever the running backs coach needs, I do."
Sutton, who is majoring in kinesiology and on pace to graduate in 2021, aids the coaching staff by breaking down film on their opponents, their formations and tendencies. He also is involved in practices.
"I'm involved with scouting, signaling in plays, and during the week I'm responsible for a binder we have called 'self scout'," Sutton said. "It has every play that we've run the entire year and a breakdown for every opponent that we've played against. We can know how many times we've ran a certain play in our last game, how many times we've run a play all season, how many times we run a play on first down, second down, etc."
Even during his time as equipment manager, and especially as a student assistant, Sutton is gaining knowledge he plans to put into practice as a head coach one day.
"I've learned a tremendous amount of football; I'm still learning every day," he said. "No coach has it all figured out, and every coach studies to learn more about the game. I've learned something new every day since I've been here."
Sutton was a 3-sport athlete at Texas High, playing football, basketball and baseball. He graduated from THS in 2017.
"I've always been in love with sports, and that's what I grew up around," Sutton said. "I knew I didn't want a job sitting inside all day. There's people who like to do that; it's just not me. I am the type who likes to get outside, and I've built relationships with so many people through sports.
"And I've gotten to go so many places. Last year, we played in the (2018) Hawai'i Bowl, and I got to spend a week in Hawai'i, while being paid to be there."
Louisiana Tech holds the active record for most consecutive bowl wins with 6 in a row after shutting out Miami, 14-0, in the 2019 Independence Bowl. It was the first G5 shutout over a Power-5 team in bowl history and first shutout in the Independence Bowl's 40-plus year history.
"I get to be around football, travel all over the country and I'm doing what I want to do: you can't beat it," Sutton said.