Erath's Landon Toups: Able to do it all

ERATH - Landon Toups may be the unsung hero of the Erath football team.
Need an offensive player who will get the job done? Call on Landon Toups.
Need a defensive stalwart who will make a stop when needed? Call Landon Toups.
Need someone who will do anything possible to help Erath win football games? Call Landon Toups.
Whatever your needs are for Erath football, Landon Toups will do what he can, when he can, to the best of his abilities.
And at the same time, remain humble about it.
“I just do whatever my coaches ask of me,” Toups said.
Toups and the Bobcats open the season on Friday at home against the Class 2A Loreauville Tigers.
Kick-off is at 7 p.m.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior plays both strong safety and running back for the Bobcats. He’s deceptively fast, running a 4.61-second 40-yard dash, and has some power behind that speed to be able to make tackles on defense and punish would-be tackles on offense.
“Originally, I started as a running back,” Toups said. “But when Trent (Bristow) got a concussion in the scrimmage, and I took over from there.
“I was always in the rotation with the ones (first team), but I never really got the reps because I was always with the first-team defense,” Toups said.
“So, what does the Erath senior like better, offense or defense?
“I like the hype of offense, especially the thrill of scoring touchdowns,” he said. “But I like hitting people. Yeah, I like hitting people.”
Toups played on all the special teams and both offense and defense in the scrimmage two weeks ago. In the jamboree, he again played both ways for the Bobcats.
The two-way athlete credited hard conditioning over the summer as one secret to playing both offense and defense.
“We had a hard summer workout this year,” Toups said. “But being in shape that way, and being in game shape are two different things.”
Toups and the rest of the Bobcats open the season Friday night with a tough match at home against the Loreauville Tigers. This team went to the quarterfinals in Class 2A last season and is a favorite to win District 7-2A and go far in the playoffs again this season.
Toups thinks the Bobcats will have a good season this year to make up for the disappointing season in 2020.
“Last year felt the same because it wasn’t my senior year,” he said. “This year is my senior year, and you have to go all out. You have to because you never know when it could be taken away from you.”
Toups feels that there are many reasons why this season will be different.
“We have 10 seniors who all start and get after it every day as we help the underclassmen learn exactly what Erath football is all about,” he said
What the Erath senior wants this year is on the table.
“I want to win some football games,” Toups said. “Going all out with my brothers on the football team.”