Kadon Harrison has only been a Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajun for two weeks. Naturally, his father Kenny is still getting used to it.

“I have a tendency to come home from work in the afternoons and I’d go into his room because I was so used to seeing him there,” Kenny said. “It’s been an adjustment not seeing him there when I leave in the morning or seeing him when I left.

“I’m starting to get used to it, but I’m having to readjust again when I see him at night and I see him leave in the morning. I have to readjust all over again.”

Such is the life of a father of a college freshman … and a father who coached his son in football for three years.

Just before Memorial Day, Kadon graduated from Port Arthur Memorial, where Kenny is heading into his ninth season as head coach. Just a few days later, the architecture major began his studies at Louisiana.

The past two weeks for Kadon, 18, have been an adjustment period for himself.

“Four-thirty in the morning, you work out, and you have two classes per day,” he said. “Then you have two classes a day and you have study hall, so it’s different from high school. It’s a transition.”

The younger Harrison readily admits he didn’t wake up on his own with dad around.

“I’m not even going to lie to you,” he said with a smile. “It’s a big transition. Having done stuff for you, and then you wake up on your own, find your own food, get your own clothes, … it’s a big difference.

“I was prepared. It just that it hits you. You’re on your own, and there’s no one there to help you.”

Think all that is hard? Try memorizing a playbook on top of that.
“About every week they give us a new installment,” Harrison said, showing with his index finger and thumb about an inch apart how thick each installment is. “As a quarterback, you’ve got to know what the offensive line is doing, the running backs and receivers, and then you’ve got to know what the defense is doing. So, it’s a lot that goes on.”

Kadon is the only Port Arthur native on the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 2017 roster, but he does have a couple of Beaumont Central graduates to hang around in wide receiver Michael Jacquet and offensive lineman Ken Marks, both sophomores.

“It helps me a lot because they know where I’m from and know what area I’m from,” Kadon said. “So, they’re always looking out for me and telling me what to do and what not to do. Having them on the team is a plus.”

Kenny Harrison, a former University of Texas wide receiver, always knew Kadon had the potential to become a quarterback in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Louisiana competes in the Sun Belt Conference, along with the likes of Texas State, Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State.

“But the time I really realized he could play at the Division I level was a year ago,” coach Harrison said. “He dislocated his ring finger on his throwing hand.”

The injury occurred two weeks before going to the Ragin’ Cajuns’ camp.

“He went up to Louisiana-Lafayette and still performed at a very high level with a dislocated finger and made every single throw,” the coach said. “That solidified my thoughts as far as him playing Division I football.”

Louisiana has established recent primary backup Jordan Davis of Klein Oak as the No. 1 quarterback during spring drills, but Harrison still finds himself in a race of five men hoping to at least be the top backup.

Kenny is confident Kadon brings a lot to the table in southwest Louisiana.

“First of all, he has a tremendous upside,” he said.
But to Kenny, who’s married and has a daughter heading to the ninth grade, nothing equals the splendor of just having his son home for a weekend on a day dedicated to dads.

“Having him home for Father’s Day is, by far, the best Father’s Day gift I’ve ever received,” he said. “I’m excited about him being here. Although it’s only been two weeks, it seems like a lot longer.

“When he said he was coming home for Father’s Day, that’s very special to me. That definitely meant a lot for him to come. When you get to college, you can stay there or go to other friend’s houses. You can catch up on some things. But for him to come home for Father’s Day means a lot to me. This is my best Father’s Day ever just because of him making that decision to come home.”

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I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews