DallasCajunMan

I knew Al Robichaux for 39 years and 3 days. He was as tough as they come. He made Chuck Norris look like Clay Aiken. He would have John Wayne quivering in his boots. Borrowing one of his favorite expressions "He could eat nails and $h!t rails!".

Big Al's toughness was born out of the cane fields of St James and St Charles parishes. Back then he was known as "Denis" or "Denis Boy" (pronounced "Denny"). He and his 2 sisters and 2 brothers were raised by a single parent (Edna) in the years after the Great Depression. They lost their father (Al Sr.) to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in 40s. You want to talk about poor, this guy grew up dirt poor. He was lucky enough to have some athletic skill and got a scholarship to LSU in the early 50s. He always told me that education was his way out and that football was just a means to that end. I guess that is why he never really talked about his days at LSU. This is something he preached to all of his kids "Education is your way out". His kids took this lesson to heart.

According to his sister Joan, after his LSU days he was contacted to attend training camp with Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers, but this was during the Korean War and he had already been drafted by Uncle Sam. I guess it was fortunate for some that he never made it Green Bay.

After his stint in the Army he began his career as a coach and educator, but that did not last long. He had an opportunity to go into the trucking business. This took him and his expanding family through places like Lake Charles, Slidell, Haughton, and finally to Opelousas. This would be his home for 30+ years. This is where he built a good living as a business owner, and this is where he would raise his family.

This guy was tough. One day we were clearing some trees on a deer lease around Forked Island. He was about 20 yds from me cutting some logs with a chain saw. I heard his chain saw stop and looked over and saw him on the ground cussin' up a storm. By the time I got to him he was on his feet with blood running down his leg. Then I looked at the chainsaw and the chain was mangled and saw completely broken. He had cut through a log and caught his leg, but the chain saw got the worst of the encounter. He grabbed another saw and went back to work. This is just one story.

I am sure his old hunting and fishing buddies have many more Big Al stories. And let me tell you most of them are probably true. He was like a cajun Paul Bunyan.

I can tell you with out a doubt that Al Robichaux is the the toughest man I ever knew. He was a great man, father and friend. He was my hero and I miss him dearly.

I am his youngest son.