John Coker never flinched when he ran headlong into centerfield walls while on patrol for the University of Louisiana's baseball team.

The large dent in the metal panels between the "R" and the "E" on Moore Field's outfield wall sign is testament to that.

"It hurts a little, but the pain goes away," Coker said. "You can't take away outs. Every out you can get helps. It's the ball first, pain second."

That's the kind of attitude normally associated with full-contact sports such as football, so it comes as no surprise that Coker plans to return to his first love for the Ragin' Cajuns this fall.

There are still bridges to be crossed and compliance/scholarship/eligibility hoops to be jumped through, but Coker plans to be on the sidelines Sept. 3 when the Cajuns open their football season at the University of Texas.

"I started thinking about it last fall when I'd watch the football team play," said Coker, who wrapped up a standout two-year career for the UL baseball squad at the NCAA Regional in June. "I figured if I didn't get drafted (in baseball) I wanted to give it a try. If I have another year of eligibility left, why not use it.

"I went to a lot of games in the fall, wishing I was out there with them. Even when I watched football on TV, sometimes I caught myself twitching in front of the set, like I was trying to avoid a tackle."

Lest anyone thinks this is only a whim, Coker was recruited by several schools out of Muskogee, Okla., High in 2001 as both a baseball and football player. He played running back, returned kicks and also played defense for the Class 6A (Oklahoma's highest classification) Roughers.

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