Get Accustomed to Tulane’s Most Dangerous Returner Taking it To The House
Tulane was ahead of UAB 7-3 at the end of the first quarter before the Blazers made the first of many blunders during the Oct. 5 American Athletic Conference battle against the Green Wave.
That mistake was kicking the ball into the arms of kickoff returner Rayshawn Pleasant. As soon as the football glided through the air and into his hands, Pleasant dusted every Blazer in sight for a 100-yard touchdown.
“Honestly on that one, I knew I was taking it to the crib,” Pleasant said. “My mindset is, if it hits my hands, I got to make a play. If I get this ball and I got a seam, I’ve got to make a play.”
Pleasant became the first Tulane player with two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same season with the 100-yard in the dominant 71-20 victory over UAB, while also becoming the only player in FBS to score two touchdowns via kickoff returns in 2024.
For his incredible efforts on the gridiron in the Green Wave specialists unit, Pleasant earned the AAC’s Special Teams Player of the Week – becoming the seventh Tulane player to earn honors this season.
“When you put the ball in a guy like that’s hands, good things usually happen,” head coach Jon Sumrall said. “I’m so proud of Ray, man. He’s worked his tail off and he’s one of the hardest working guys on our team. He went through a little injury in the spring, was out a lot, and you’d see him out there doing drills by himself. He’s passionate about his craft and he’s a great young man and I am really proud of what he’s doing.”
Pleasant has left no doubt about his ability to make the opposition pay for kicking it in his direction. The most astounding factor of his incredible ability and athleticism that has contributed significantly to Tulane’s success is that Pleasants enters the 2024 season as a redshirt sophomore.
Coming out of West Monroe High School, Pleasant was ranked in the top 50 players in Louisiana, regardless of position. He recorded over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns on offense, while also contributing heavily to the success of the basketball and track and field squads.
As a high school standout athlete, Pleasant has been all-in with the Green Wave since he committed in the winter of 2021.
Capturing the dominant victory alongside his teammates was a dream come true for the talented sophomore.
“It was a blessing to be able to see all of our hard work paying off from the offseason,” Pleasant said. “We’re a really hard-working and disciplined team. I’m truly grateful to see it come alive in games like this.”
Players like Pleasant are extremely rare. Having such a dangerous returner to depend on benefits the Green Wave tremendously in the race to the conference championship.
But there is still much work to do. There are many things to improve upon, and as this squad continues to improve, Pleasant will remain lurking for his next opportunity to take off downfield and make the opposition pay for the deep mistake.
“We could have been better in all areas, for sure,” Pleasant said. “I definitely feel like we are getting our groove and playing to our standard each and every day.”
