ATLANTA – Now in his second season as a Panther, Georgia State defensive lineman Julien Laurent has travelled far from his home in Toronto, Canada, to pursue his collegiate football career.
Despite being away from his parents, Laurent’s little brother is close in proximity.
“I have a little brother, Mathieu,” Laurent said. “He plays soccer for UAB. He actually played in the Under-18 World Cup for Canada and got recruited after that.”
Even though Laurent is far-removed, he has a positive outlook when asked about missing his family back in Canada.
“Yes, kind of, but this is my family here,” Laurent said as he looked around at his teammates and coaches. “Especially during the season. I’m locked in during the season.”
This determination has undoubtedly sustained Laurent throughout his football journey.
Attending high school at ESC Renaissance, Laurent was not able to play on the school’s varsity football team like most of his current teammates were at their respective high schools.
“In Canada my high school didn’t have football,” said Laurent, the rare Canadian athlete who never played hockey. “We had leagues that we played with during the fall and winter.”
Having played with the Markham Raiders organization, in the Ontario Varsity Football League, Laurent was selected to be a part of a team that would bring him to the United States.
Laurent had the opportunity to travel to the United States and play against Milford Academy. The prep school, located in New Berlin, N.Y., took to Laurent and offered him the opportunity to attend the academy.
Continuing on in his football career, Laurent transferred to junior college New Mexico Military Institute located in Roswell, N.M. There, he totaled 21 tackles and one interception during the six-game season of 2014. After this breakout season, the 6-foot-4, 310-pound defensive tackle made one more collegiate football move.
After a visit from Georgia State defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Laurent decided to take a visit to the university and soon after signed a football scholarship to officially become a part of the Panther football program.
Last fall, the backup nose guard totaled 11 tackles and one tackle for loss. Credited with making several big plays for Georgia State, Laurent blocked an extra point vs. New Mexico State, which helped result in a 34-32 win for the Panthers. This season, he has earned a starting role, and last week at Air Force, he recorded a career-high eight tackles.
The speech major, for whom French is his first language, says rhetoric criticism is one of his favorite classes this semester. He has made the Dean’s List as well as the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll at Georgia State.
