The McNeese State football team struggled in the defensive secondary last season, so one of the first orders of business for head coach Lance Guidry after reassuming his role as defensive coordinator was to restock the defensive secondary. 

He and the Cowboys coaching staff did just that, grabbing junior college guys and transfers from around the country to help fill the gaps last season.

Perhaps the most valuable pickup McNeese obtained this season came in the form of BJ Blunt, a familiar face for the program. 

Blunt signed with McNeese in 2014 out of McDonough #35 in New Orleans, but the school deemed him a non-qualifier due to a lack of credits. 

After sitting out a year, he enrolled at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kan., where he led the Broncbusters to an NJCAA national championship season with 63 tackles and eight interceptions. 

Now, the junior safety returns to Lake Charles to play for the team he originally signed with and attempt to bring the Cowboys similar success. 

“It felt really good to be back in fall camp and the environment playing football with guys,” Blunt said. “This is a family here. There’s some good chemistry. I like it.”

“It feels good to be back out here in this atmosphere. A lot of these guys I know: (Dominique) Hill, Kent Shelby, I came in with these guys, and they’ve shown a lot of love.”

Blunt played in a 4-3 scheme that focused primarily on stopping the run while at GCCC, and that’s where his strengths lie. 

As a Broncbuster he largely played free safety, as he is most comfortable creeping up in the box and playing run-stop defense. 

Blunt said he and Guidry talked about where he would best fit in the Cowboys’ defensive scheme. 

“I came in as a free safety, but I talked to coach Guidry and he talked about moving me down in the box because I actually play better on the run-stop. That’s primarily going to be my job.”

Blunt’s 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame combined with solid speed and coverage ability make him a threat to make plays anywhere on the field. This makes him ideal for Guidry’s blitz-heavy defensive scheme.

“He’s a big, physical kid,” Guidry said. “He’s going to run downhill and hit you. We’ll get him involved in a bunch of blitzes.”

Blunt said he doesn’t know how long he will stay at McNeese, as he has aspirations of playing in the NFL. But he definitely wants to make a lasting impact while he’s back at the program he intended to play with for his entire collegiate career. 

“As far as personal goals, I’m trying to get ready for the (NFL) Draft and things like that,” Blunt said. “I want to be a part of that this year. But if things don’t go as well as I hope, I’m going to stay another year and play. But this year, as far as a team goal, we’re playing for a national championship.”

BJ Blunt, McNeese safety (Special to American Press)